{"id":11244,"date":"2023-03-21T16:18:03","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T13:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kevuru.smplfy.eu\/?p=11244"},"modified":"2026-01-06T19:21:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T19:21:18","slug":"choosing-an-art-style-for-your-video-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kevurugames.com\/blog\/choosing-an-art-style-for-your-video-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing an Art Style for Your Video Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite age-old requests not to judge a book by its cover, judging by the cover is the first thing we all do. This also applies to game graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember how you form the first opinion about the upcoming game. Of course, based on screenshots or a trailer. And no matter how you convince yourself that you will form the final opinion after testing the gameplay, the emotional foundation has already been formed. Such is human nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Art does not exist apart from game mechanics. Good graphics won’t save a game with bad gameplay, but good gameplay won’t do it alone without high-quality visuals. Graphics should be the main visual tool for conveying the essence of the gameplay to the players. Therefore, the very game art style that will give players the right perception is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s try to understand the motley variety of art styles for game art services<\/a> and how to choose what you need. And a way to basically understand what you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Video Game Art Style?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Game art style is a harmonious combination of all the visual components of the game perfectly matched to convey the desired atmosphere to the players.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, everything should be exactly like this. But quite often you see confusion and vacillation in the form of a visual style mismatch with the essence of the game. This is not necessarily due to the poor performance of the game development team. Perhaps the idea was too big for the available resources. Always keep in mind what resources you have before thinking about game art style.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artistic resources require a lot of time and a skilled hand. Whether you’re planning on making a game on your own or as part of an indie team, it’s important to consider the style you can shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key Issues in Defining a Video Game Art Style<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Too much variety always causes selection problems. Such a creative and rather vague notion as a game art style can be quite a puzzle if you come across it for the first time. Let’s go through the most common hurdles that get in the way of defining game art vs. game design<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running into Extremes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here we have two options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I want to do it like [some popular successful game] but in my own way.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I want to create a brand new killer game art style.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the first option looks less crazy than the second, both are doomed to failure. In the first case, you use the “crutches” of other people’s brainstorming products in order to “dress” your mechanics. In the second case, you do not think about the mechanics at all, relying on the stunning effect of the visual innovation. The main problem is the complete inconsistency and fragmentation of these approaches.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No good game is a potpourri of some interesting mechanics and breakthrough visual ideas. The best games are perfectly cohesive, offering players a harmonious gaming experience, seamlessly integrated so that it is impossible to tear off the components for rough preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution<\/strong>. Both the mechanics and the game art style should come from the main idea. You have to view the game as a whole and deliver the right experience to the players consistently. Understanding the connection and interaction of all elements of the game will lead you to the desired game art style without the need for copying or striving for unsubstantiated visual show off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Falling into the Trap of Subjectivism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What seems like a great way to share your experience to you may seem like gibberish to another person. These are the costs of the wholesale reign of subjectivism, which is already here to cast a shadow on your idea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you find yourself pondering these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Will the player accept my idea the way I perceive it?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Is my chosen game art style eloquent enough?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it can be quite difficult for you to get out of this addictive swamp. Remember that it\u2019s not always black and white, and it is impossible to take into account absolutely all objective and subjective factors. But you can try combining proven design and testing methodologies with more advanced research into your audience and their understanding of aesthetics and entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution.<\/strong> Always know what you are doing and who you are doing it for. Your game may not cover absolutely all the players on the planet, but those for whom it is intended should feel this at a glance. Building empathy is vital for your game to communicate with the player. Don’t close yourself in your shell with a bunch of complex innovative ideas that no one will understand. Explore your audience, communicate with them, show them what you are doing, and then you will know exactly what works and what does not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Stuck Among Selected Art Styles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are always many specialists in the team who can see the key game art style in their own way and offer their ideas. And while the final verdict will be up to the decision maker, you won’t envy them if they have an alternative of several equal options on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese styles look equally cool, which one should I choose?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat if I choose the wrong one from these options?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is another package of toxic questions that deviate from the point. And the point is that you choose a visual tool to show form. You remember that it must work harmoniously with the mechanics and convey the necessary messages to the player at any given moment of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you hesitate to choose between several similar styles, then you do not quite understand what your game is about and what it is for, and you start giving visuals more importance than other aspects. Your approach is not correct if you lay out a solitaire of different styles in front of you and try to pull them on the mechanics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solution.<\/strong> Remember the need to match form with content. Look again at your game and say out loud what it is about and what it should convey to the players. When you have a clear vision of the game, there will be no separate visuals and mechanics for you. The synergy of these things is a gaming experience. Therefore, with a full understanding of its purpose, you will understand what style you need, as if it were a perfect piece of the puzzle, folding into a complete picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basic Art Styles For Games<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the fact that game art styles do not have a clear and officially recognized taxonomy, game developers still distinguish some key categories based on the combination of their most characteristic features. For example, for 3D games, these are styles such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n