Visual design thinking for games - style selection, asset pipelines, and art direction.
What feeling should the game evoke?
│
├── Nostalgic / Retro
│ ├── Limited palette? → Pixel Art
│ └── Hand-drawn feel? → Vector / Flash style
│
├── Realistic / Immersive
│ ├── High budget? → PBR 3D
│ └── Stylized realism? → Hand-painted textures
│
├── Approachable / Casual
│ ├── Clean shapes? → Flat / Minimalist
│ └── Soft feel? → Gradient / Soft shadows
│
└── Unique / Experimental
└── Define custom style guide
| Style | Production Speed | Skill Floor | Scalability | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel Art | Medium | Medium | Hard to hire | Indie, retro |
| Vector/Flat | Fast |
| Low |
| Easy |
| Mobile, casual |
| Hand-painted | Slow | High | Medium | Fantasy, stylized |
| PBR 3D | Slow | High | AAA pipeline | Realistic games |
| Low-poly | Fast | Medium | Easy | Indie 3D |
| Cel-shaded | Medium | Medium | Medium | Anime, cartoon |
| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | Paper, Procreate, Photoshop | Reference sheet |
| Creation | Aseprite, Photoshop, Krita | Individual sprites |
| Atlas | TexturePacker, Aseprite | Spritesheet |
| Animation | Spine, DragonBones, Frame-by-frame | Animation data |
| Integration | Engine import | Game-ready assets |
| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Concept | 2D art, Blockout | Reference |
| Modeling | Blender, Maya, 3ds Max | High-poly mesh |
| Retopology | Blender, ZBrush | Game-ready mesh |
| UV/Texturing | Substance Painter, Blender | Texture maps |
| Rigging | Blender, Maya | Skeletal rig |
| Animation | Blender, Maya, Mixamo | Animation clips |
| Export | FBX, glTF | Engine-ready |
| Goal | Strategy | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Harmony | Complementary or analogous | Nature games |
| Contrast | High saturation differences | Action games |
| Mood | Warm/cool temperature | Horror, cozy |
| Readability | Value contrast over hue | Gameplay clarity |
| Principle | Game Application |
|---|---|
| Squash & Stretch | Jump arcs, impacts |
| Anticipation | Wind-up before attack |
| Staging | Clear silhouettes |
| Follow-through | Hair, capes after movement |
| Slow in/out | Easing on transitions |
| Arcs | Natural movement paths |
| Secondary Action | Breathing, blinking |
| Timing | Frame count = weight/speed |
| Exaggeration | Readable from distance |
| Appeal | Memorable design |
| Action Type | Typical Frames | Feel |
|---|---|---|
| Idle breathing | 4-8 | Subtle |
| Walk cycle | 6-12 | Smooth |
| Run cycle | 4-8 | Energetic |
| Attack | 3-6 | Snappy |
| Death | 8-16 | Dramatic |
| Platform | Base Resolution | Sprite Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | 1080p | 64-128px characters |
| Desktop | 1080p-4K | 128-256px characters |
| Pixel art | 320x180 to 640x360 | 16-32px characters |
Choose a base unit and stick to it:
[type]_[object]_[variant]_[state].[ext]
Examples:
spr_player_idle_01.png
tex_stone_wall_normal.png
mesh_tree_oak_lod2.fbx
assets/
├── characters/
│ ├── player/
│ └── enemies/
├── environment/
│ ├── props/
│ └── tiles/
├── ui/
├── effects/
└── audio/
| Don't | Do |
|---|---|
| Mix art styles randomly | Define and follow style guide |
| Work at final resolution only | Create at source resolution |
| Ignore silhouette readability | Test at gameplay distance |
| Over-detail background | Focus detail on player area |
| Skip color testing | Test on target display |
Remember: Art serves gameplay. If it doesn't help the player, it's decoration.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).