From the One Ring to the Halo Energy Sword, 3D props in video games, animations, or films are synonymous with memorable stories. As a 3D designer, you must ensure your props elevate your characters and environment so your audience is absorbed in the experience.
And that’s not just for the hero characters. Imagine your favorite video game or blockbuster film. Now, think about all the background characters and worlds. Almost every character interacts with some sort of prop, whether it’s an everyday tool or a MacGuffin object that changes the entire course of a story.
Below, we’ll share the best free 3D props to get your next adventure up and running.
Short on time? Here’s the list.
1. Mission to Minerva Terrain Rover
2. Ship Pinnace
3. 15th Century Long Sword
4. City Props Collection
5. Food Pack
6. Door Pack
7. Dry Branches
8. PBR exterior 5 stones
9. Katana Weapon Sword
What is a 3D prop?
The term “prop” comes from the theater and is short for “property.” Props are any movable objects an actor interacts with or moves. 3D props serve relatively the same purpose in video games, animation, or film. As long as they are objects a character could or will interact with that develop the story, we call them 3D props.
The most common 3D props are:
- Natural objects like rocks, branches, or leaves
- Everyday objects (anything you’d find in your home)
- Tools
- Clothing
- Weapons
- Vehicles
- Planes and ships
While creating a custom prop from scratch is fulfilling, you’ll need help dressing the rest of your scene with props. That’s where downloadable 3D props come in handy, especially when free.
8 Best Free 3D Props in 2024
1. Mission to Minerva Terrain Rover
Do you dream about the stars? Does your mind wander to sci-fi storytelling?
If you’re building a space-themed 3D project, Mission to Minerva provides free 3D props to launch your adventure. From KitBash3D (that’s us), Mission to Minerva includes sleek, structural props for a space adventure, specifically the terrain rover that looks futuristic yet familiar. The terrain rover is a free 3D prop that will make your sci-fi base of operations feel professional and polished, no matter what twists and turns the story faces.
License: Non-commercial only
Tech Specs:
Poly Count: 19.7m
Model Count: 60 Models
Material Count: 63 PBR Materials
Compatibility:
- Blender
- Unreal Engine
- Cinema 4D
- Unity
- 3ds Max
- Maya
- Houdini
- FBX/OBJ
2. Ship Pinnace
If space isn’t your final frontier, what about the high seas?
Ship Pinnace by James Ray Cock is a free 3D asset available through Poly Haven. It’s a detailed 19th-century ship perfect for any pirate or naval adventure project. You can also customize whether you’d like the sails up or down and maneuver the rudder and cannon gates. Set sail on your creativity with this realistic-looking craft.
License: Non-commercial and commercial
Tech Specs:
- 39.8m wide
- 4.2 px/cm
- 184K tris
Formats:
- Blender
- glTF
- USD
- FDX
3. 15th Century Long Sword
No great medieval or fantasy story is without a steady sword for a knight in shining armor, castle guard, or maidan at arms. The 15th Century Long Sword from designer bossdeff is a free 3D model via Sketchfab ready for a video game or animation scene.
License: Non-commercial and commercial
Tech Specs:
- Low-Poly 2K
- PBR Materials
- 2MB
Formats:
- FBX
- glTF
- USD
4. Food Pack
Food is the most common prop because characters can interact with it almost anywhere. With Food Pack 01 from Unreal Engine’s marketplace, you get a collection of 62 fruits, vegetables, and breads. Unfortunately, this is only for Unreal Engine (UE), but if you are a UE user, plenty of additional free 3D props are available on its marketplace.
License: Standard
Tech Specs:
- Collision automatically generated
- Vertex Count: 50-1200 tris
- LOD1 and LOD2
Formats:
- Unreal Engine
5. Door Pack
We know doors don’t sound like an exciting free 3D prop for your project, but just think about it. A door allows a character to enter and exit a scene. A door creates spatial awareness in a room. And a door is a symbol of “what’s next.” With Door Pack by creator Axic Topple on Turbosquid, you can download free 3D doors for an apartment, office building, hospital, exterior building, and more.
License: Standard
Tech Specs:
- 8 Polygons
- 9 Vertices
- Polygonal
Formats:
- Blender
- OBJ
- FBX
6. Dry Branches
Another subtle 3D prop to enhance a scene is branches on the ground floor of a forest or outdoor scene that a character steps over, kicks, or picks up. Sure, it may seem small, but adding 3D assets on the ground floor or sidewalk creates a more realistic environment. With Dry Branches Medium 01 by Rico Cilliers via Poly Haven, you can easily add realistic dry branches to your project.
License: Standard (CC0)
Tech Specs:
- 1.3m wide
- 91.6 px/cm
- 17K tris
- 58.94 MBS
Formats:
- Blender
- glTF
- USD
- FDX
7. PBR exterior 5 stones
Like branches, stones are overlooked props that add realism to your scene. Plus, picking up rocks is an easy prop action for a character demo or if you’re working out the mechanics of a scene. PBR exterior 5 stones is a free 3D prop by CaptainCatSparrow from TurboSquid that includes five realistic stones that you can use as an interactive prop or display in a scene.
License: Standard
Tech Specs:
- 1,792 Polygons
- 906 Vertices
- UV Mapped
- Non-overlapping Unwrapped UVs
Formats:
- FBX
8. Katana Weapon Sword - Game Ready
We couldn’t forget a favorite prop from decades of video games, animation adventures, and cinema–a katana. Katana Weapon Sword - Game Ready is a free 3D prop Craftsman CG from TurboSquid that is ready to put in your character's hands or displayed on a wall. Plus, you can change the color design of the sword hilt and handle to suit your project.
Tech Specs:
- 2,996 Polygons
- 3,000 Vertices
- UV Mapped
- Non-overlapping Unwrapped UVs
- PBR textures
Formats:
- Blender
- FBX
- OBJ
- Unity
Get more free 3D props with Mission to Minerva
Now that you have a selection of the best free 3D props for your next video game or animation project. It’s time to explore more.
Dive into Mission to Minerva to discover more free 3D props. This Kit will give you everything a spacefaring explorer needs to build your world in Minerva, from cargo ships, terrain rovers, and terraformers to community centers and endless modular habitats. This is your opportunity to explore the deepest fields of your imagination. Happy KitBashing!
