Regarding the visual direction of ROOM-9, I first considered that this is an indie game, and I wanted the style to serve the gameplay first. Therefore, during the style research phase, I focused on referencing works that had their own style and were similar to my theme. Instead of relying on high-precision modelling, I used a pixel style and simplified the outlines.
LIMBO
LIMBO’s drawing style is extremely restrained, relying almost entirely on black and white contrast to build the world. Characters and terrain are made almost as very obvious shapes, without a lot of decorative details. This approach allows the player to better distinguish between what are movable areas and what are dangerous areas.
Gameplay footage on the web
But for me, the most important inspiration of LIMBO is not the black-and-white style, but the fact that it strengthens the intuitive response by reducing visual information. It’s easier for players to make judgements based on the environment when there are no superfluous elements in the screen. This can be a good point to learn from.
In addition the characters in LIMBO are almost expressionless, but the player can still feel the tension through the character position or posture. It shows that in games, emotions don’t necessarily have to be expressed through detailed portrayals, the structure of the screen can also convey them.
Backbone
Backbone uses a modern pixel style that is more detailed in resolution and lighting than traditional retro pixels, but still maintains the pixel structure. Characters and environments are built on pixels, which makes for very uniform graphics.
Gameplay footage on the web
A particular point of interest is the character design in the game. The characters don’t have complex animations or proportions, but maintain a very stable outline from different viewpoints.
Also in terms of atmosphere, Backbone uses a lot of dark tones and localised light sources. This prominent light source is used more to direct the player’s eyes and emphasise actionable areas. This use of light is very informative to the room design in ROOM-9.
Papers, Please
Papers, Please is not really difficult to draw on a technical level, whether it’s the characters, the credentials or the windows or buttons, the complexity of these is almost at a minimum. Characters don’t have exaggerated shapes and facial details are minimal, but the player just knows what items are used for what and where they are in the current flow.
This design approach represents the fact that the visuals don’t necessarily have to take full responsibility for narrative or emotional expression; in Papers, Please, the characters exist more to convey various states, such as nervousness, waiting, or uneasiness. The overall visual design also illustrates the point that low precision does not diminish the player’s emotions, but rather reinforces the feeling of stress. Because the graphics are free of superfluous details, the player’s attention is locked on processes and decisions. Making the graphics part of the system allows the player to focus more on the gameplay.
Gameplay footage on the web
From ROOM-9’s perspective, this design thinking is valuable. I don’t design the configuration of a game room to be a very beautifully crafted object, preferring to convey information directly so that the player understands what it does straight away. Works well for games like mine where narration is minimal.
Conclusion
A relatively clear direction for the painting style has been established by synthesising the previous research. For the production I will choose to adopt a visual style that is pixelated, medium-precision, structure-first, and darker overall. This will better ensure the readability and consistency of the image.
In terms of specific techniques, I will use a clear block structure and a relatively small number of colours, without relying on complex materials or details. Keeping the objects in the game simple allows the player to better understand the overall environment in a short period of time.