look much smoother than the games themselves. Aesthetic Models that are said to be low poly often appear blocky and simple while still maintaining the basic shape of what they are meant to represent. With computer graphics getting more powerful, it has become increasingly computationally cheap to render low poly graphics. Some artists use the resulting low-detail from a low polygon count as an aesthetic rather than as an optimization technique. They are often used by indie developers due to being faster and cheaper to create. In addition, there is an element of nostalgia to low poly styles, hearkening to older video game consoles such as the Nintendo 64 or the PlayStation. Since they often achieve a certain retro style, serving as a 3-Dimensional analog to the 2-Dimensional pixel art. History Low poly as a relative term There is no defined threshold for a mesh to be low poly; low poly is always a relative term and depends on (amongst other factors): The time the meshes were designed and for what hardware The detail required in the final mesh The shape and properties of the object in question As computing power inevitably increases, the number of polygons that can be used increases too. For example, Super Mario 64 would be considered low poly today, but was considered a stunning achievement when it was released in 1996. Similarly, in 2018, using hundreds of polygons on a leaf in the background of a scene would be considered high poly, but using that many polygons on the main character would be considered low poly. In this way, there is a relativism between the importance of objects and their graphical quality. More important objects such as Non-player characters usually contain a higher amount of detail than less important objects, which are often small or in the background, like a blade of grass. This relativism is subverted when low-poly is used as an intentional aesthetic style: every object shares the simplicity that a low number of polygons brings, making the distinction between important features and unimportant features less clear. Emergence as an aesthetic style Low poly graphics emerged around late 2013 as a specific style when content creators began to redefine the difference between high-poly and low-poly. Instead of using a low number of polygons as a necessity, creators like Timothy J. Reynolds recognized how the usage of fewer polygons sharpens the focus on essential