Graphics & Art Direction
The graphic style of a video game defines the visual aspect through which its universe is presented to players. The art direction defines the game's personality. It shapes the visual identity and emotional tone, setting the overall atmosphere. Excellent art direction can breathe real soul into a game, making it instantly recognizable through a coherent, expressive, and meaningful visual style.
Tags in this Category
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Comic | Style inspired by comic books and graphic novels. It often employs cel-shading—with its flat colors and bold outlines—but also incorporates post-processing effects like halftone textures, filters, and print-like textures to evoke a hand-drawn, illustrated look |
| Claymation | Characters and environments look hand-crafted from clay with authentic textures, deliberate imperfections, and frame-by-frame animation evoking a warm, nostalgic, and artisanal atmosphere. |
| Retro | Games released after 2000 that deliberately draw inspiration from the design, colors, and overall aesthetic of 1980s and 1990s games. The intended atmosphere is such that, at first glance, the game unmistakably evokes the feel and style typical of that classic era. |
| Pixel Art | A deliberate artistic choice in games released after 2000, where visuals are crafted pixel by pixel to create a distinctive, minimalist aesthetic. This style pays homage to classic visuals while often reinterpreting them in a modern context—it doesn't imply a poor quality or strictly limited color palette, but rather a creative embrace of retro charm combined with contemporary design sensibilities. |
| Low Poly | Games released after 2000 that intentionally use a low-poly aesthetic: simplified 3D models with reduced polygon counts and minimal textures that emphasize clear geometric shapes and clean lines. This artistic choice focuses on the essence and structure of forms. |