Art Influences - UQcsse3200/2024-studio-1 GitHub Wiki

Overview

This project aims to develop a 2D rogue-like game set in an underground facility where players must manage the chaos caused by escaped experimental animals. The game’s art style is designed to complement its dark, humorous, and strategic gameplay, enhancing player immersion and engagement.

Core Art Style

Pixel Art, 2D Top-Down View

  • Visual Approach: The game will employ a pixel art style with a 2D top-down perspective, allowing for a clear and nostalgic visual experience. This style is popular in roguelike games and will resonate with players familiar with the genre.
  • Justification: Pixel art is selected for its simplicity and clarity, which makes it well-suited for 2D games. The top-down view enhances spatial awareness and tactical gameplay by providing a clear, comprehensive perspective and enabling players to interact with surroundings easily. Furthermore, this visual approach aligns with roguelike genre conventions, offering intuitive controls and envoking nostalgia for classic games, boosting player enjoyment and connection with the game.
  • Inspiration: the game “The Binding of Issac on Steam” was used as a source of inspiration for visual approach. The top-down view used makes it easier for players to comprehend the game and navigate their way easily. The Binding of Isaac on Steam

Colour Scheme and Textures

  • Colour Palette: The facility setting will use a greyish-purple colour scheme to create a moody and tense atmosphere. This palette reflects the underground environment and the serious yet humorous tone of the game. As of first sprint, these are the following options:
  • Textures: Dye textures on maps will be used to add depth and a worn-out feel to the environment, contributing to the overall immersion. NOTE: nothing conclusive yet as of first sprint

Character Design

  • Design Approach: the character will be designed in a hazmat suit as it reinforces game’s hazardous, experimental setting. This was chosen to visually conveys the lab settings and establishes the protagonist’s role as a warden. It also helps in distinguishing character from all potential NPCs. The following was taken from pixelart.com as an inspiration.

Animal Design

  • Design Approach: Characters and animals will be designed with exaggerated features in pixel art to ensure they are distinct and easily recognizable. Animals will reflect their assigned traits (e.g., rats/rabbits with infection marks, a robust gorilla, a fierce dog, etc.).
  • Inspiration: An example of these is found in [Animal Asset Pack by DeepDiveGameStudio] (https://deepdivegamestudio.itch.io/animalassetpack) which includes pixelated animals matching the game art style.

Thematic Elements

1. Facility Environment

  • Background: The underground facility will feature corridors reminiscent of industrial and experimental lab settings. Elements such as broken cages, scattered scientific equipment, and damaged infrastructure will enhance the atmosphere, creating a sense of chaos and danger.

Main Menu Screen

1. Start Screen

  • Background: Broken lab facility with empty shelves and vague contents of research apparatus shown along with the title " BEAST BREAKOUT " stated at top

image

UI Skin

1. Icons

  • Usage: Asset used in game screen options like exit the game.

image

2. Fonts

  • Usage: Respective Fonts

image

  • Inspiration: The background draws inspiration from Jetpack Joyride's lab settings, though adapted for a more grounded, hazardous environment. Unlike the space-themed visuals in Jetpack Joyride, this game focuses on broken glass, cages, and scientific props to reinforce the experimental nature of the facility. Jetpack Joyride Backgrounds

2. Attack Visuals Style: Attack animations will feature a "Bloody Hell" style, with exaggerated blood effects in pixel. This adds to the chaotic and desperate tone of the game. A small animation and visual effects will be used to demonstrate the blood spilling everywhere after attacking with knife or shotgun. The image below is taken from pixel art corpse murder bag as an example of possible attack outcome.

Influences

1. Acknowledging and Building on Influences

The Binding of Isaac and Jetpack Joyride have provided inspiration in key areas like art style, level design, and thematic elements. The Binding of Isaac informs the game's visual approach, particularly in creating a dark, atmospheric environment. The game's industrial setting draws from Jetpack Joyride, while the animal designs are inspired by the Animal Asset pack from DeepDiveGameStudio.

Key Details:

  • The Binding of Isaac excels in creating a compelling and eerie atmosphere with its brown basement setting. However, your game adapts this by using a grayish-purple palette for a more industrial, experimental lab environment, aligning better with the narrative.
  • Jetpack Joyride's industrial settings have been adapted to suit an underground facility, focusing more on a chaotic, post-experimentation scenario with broken cages and scientific debris rather than space-themed visuals.
  • The exaggerated and dark humour from these influences is reinterpreted to align with your game's unique storyline, enhancing the narrative without directly copying the tone or style.

2. Differentiation from Influences

Influence vs. Imitation:

While the game draws inspiration from The Binding of Isaac and Jetpack Joyride, it intentionally differentiates itself by incorporating original elements that create a distinct identity. For instance, the experimental animals with specific traits and the procedural generation of rooms are unique features that go beyond mere imitation. These innovations ensure that the game stands on its own, combining the best aspects of its influences while introducing fresh ideas that contribute to a unique player experience.

References and Inspirations

Conclusion

The chosen art style and thematic elements, while influenced by existing media, are adapted and iterated upon to create a unique and immersive experience. The pixel art, dark color schemes, and facility-based environment work together to support the game's roguelike mechanics and humor-filled narrative, ensuring a visually consistent and original game.