Wallpaper Engine is home to some of the most vibrant, creative, and exciting animated wallpapers and allows you to create and submit your own. This list provides you with the best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers.
FYI: need to jazz up your desktop? Learn how to use animated and live wallpapers on Windows.
1. Watching the Universe (red)
If you’re into sci-fi wallpapers, you’ll probably like Watching the Universe (red) by HoHoHO. This minimalist wallpaper depicts a man and a cat gazing out at the universe through gigantic floor-to-ceiling windows. It evokes a sense of awe and grandeur as you imagine the man to be the source behind the masterpiece unfolding outside the windows.
The slow-moving reddish matter is reflected beautifully on the glass-like floor behind the man and the cat, further enhancing the scene. It reminds me of Marvel’s Loki series.
2. Synthwave DeLorean by VISUALDON – 4K 60fps
“Visualdon” is one of the most recognizable artists on Wallpaper Engine, having contributed tons of great wallpapers. Synthwave DeLorean by VISUALDON – 4K 60fps, is one such marvelous creation, depicting the iconic DeLorean cruising toward the sunset on a dreamy, nostalgic road. The art style reminds you of the synthwave/retrowave genre, perfectly in sync with the DeLorean’s vibe.
There’s no music accompanying the gorgeous art here, but the 60FPS playback, stunning reflections, and impeccable detail more than make up for it. It helps that it’s in 4K resolution, so it’ll look great on almost any monitor. You can also browse Wallpaper Engine for variations of this wallpaper from the same artist.
Tip: looking for more 4K wallpapers? Check out these cool 4K desktop backgrounds for Windows.
3. Sealed
“Bewie” is another popular artist on Wallpaper Engine, and his creations are often seen on lists for the best wallpapers. Having created nearly 100 wallpapers, Sealed is one of their best ones, depicting a nature scene through a giant keyhole. The viewer’s P.O.V. is directed outward from a dark forest, toward the bright and beautiful mountain terrain with clouds and flying birds. There’s also music, and you can customize the volume and playback rate.
The wallpaper automatically switches to a moonlit night scene based on your system clock. There’s a slight mouse parallax, so the wallpaper moves in response to your cursor. Fans of The Legend of Zelda series or soothing nature scenes in general will find much to like in this wallpaper.
4. Lofi Cafe
Another creation by Bewie, Lofi Cafe, is a wildly popular wallpaper on Wallpaper Engine. When you see the quaint cafe on a quiet street depicted in this wallpaper, light rain drizzling around it, and the sound of thunder adding to the ambiance, you begin to see its appeal. The 4K resolution helps heighten the details and sell the soothing scene of the wallpaper.
Like many Wallpaper Engine wallpapers, you can customize the volume and the playback rate of the music. You can also choose whether you want certain elements in the scene, such as the clock, rain, bloom effects, and music notes. There’s also an audio visualizer that responds to whatever is playing on your computer.
Good to know: think your desktop is a bit boring? Customize your Windows desktop with Rainmeter.
5. Slow-Mo-Ocean
Slow-Mo-Ocean is one of the simpler wallpapers on this list, simply depicting the motion of waves in a slow-motion ocean while the sun sets in the background. But there are some little things about this scene that can transfix you as you stare at it. First, it looks unbelievably realistic, and the dark waves are equal parts foreboding and inviting. Second, the brilliant glow of the sun shining on the waves is breathtaking.
Lastly, the movement of the waves stops after a point, reversing the motion and resuming in the other direction. The artist has nailed the fluid physics in this scene, really selling the deep and disturbing feeling of uncharted waters.
6. rain
The next wallpaper is simply titled “rain.” Although rain is a running theme on Wallpaper Engine, this wallpaper has the best implementation of it. The impeccable sound of the raindrops spattering on concrete, the stunning detail on the road, the brilliant reflections, and the diffused lighting come together to create a perfect scene that enables you to enjoy and appreciate rain in its purest form.
I’m not a big fan of getting drenched. In fact, I despise getting wet outside of a shower. But this wallpaper helps me appreciate all the other effects of rain without getting worried about getting wet.
7. Mafia Definitive Edition Menu 4K
Fans of Mafia games can’t afford to miss this one. Mafia Definitive Edition Menu 4K is a brilliantly made wallpaper celebrating the game’s menu screen. It also features the original menu music featured in the game, complete with the ambient rain sound. All the elements that make up the gritty and retro vibe of the game are here: old furniture, typewriter, photos on the desk, and a shotgun lying on a chair to the side.
The room also has somber lighting, and there’s rain falling against the windows, through which you can see the city lights. It allows you to customize many of the elements involved in the scene. Even if you haven’t played the game, you’ll be able to appreciate the work that has gone into this wallpaper. Fans of gangster movies and retro wallpapers, in general, would also find this one worthy of their desktops.
Good to know: need screensavers for your PC? These are the best screensavers for Windows.
8. HITMAN 3: Chongqing in 4K
There are countless gaming wallpapers in Wallpaper Engine, but HITMAN 3: Chongqing in 4K is one of my favorites. The wallpaper depicts the location of the fourth level in the game Hitman 3. Stretching the perspective out from an alleyway toward a street, the scene is bathed in a pinkish-red hue, with rain making everything extra-reflective and ethereal. You can choose to have only the sound of rain, the game music, or both.
There are more customizations in terms of enabling or disabling god rays for the overall lighting. This is one of the more classy and well-made gaming wallpapers I’ve seen on Wallpaper Engine. You can give it a chance and see if it suits your style.
9. Wake Up
Another smash hit on Wallpaper Engine, Wake Up, is a soothing wallpaper depicting an underwater scene with a boy on a bed gazing up at a whale passing by. The soundscape here is brilliant: calming whale sounds accompanied by a pleasant soundtrack. It’s a shame that you can’t customize the sound to isolate the whale sounds from the music, but you can control the playback rate.
The whale is seen swimming alongside other fish as the boy keeps staring at the scene, holding a lantern in his hand.
10. The Last One
The Last One is a minimalist wallpaper by “Drioyard,” who has over 350 submissions on Wallpaper Engine. The one in question depicts an outer space scene, where a man with a walking stick is standing on the surface of a planet, looking at a ringed planet with a moon. There are also bursts of light erupting into the sky. The entire scene is bathed in a red glow.
There’s no music or individual elements to customize here, but there’s mouse parallax – the wallpaper reacts to your mouse cursor. You can control the playback rate of the erupting lights.
Tip: missing a unique Windows desktop? These are the best apps to personalize your Windows interface.
Wallpaper Engine is a fantastic (and cheap) tool to customize your Windows device. You can leave boring static wallpapers behind for the best live wallpapers from thousands of creators. You can also create playlists of your favorite wallpapers, switch to performance mode on low-end systems, and even sync select wallpapers with your RGB components. These best Wallpaper Engine wallpapers can get you started on your journey to take your Windows desktop to the next level.
All screenshots by Tanveer Singh.
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