Game Art

1---
2name: game-art
3description: Game art principles. Visual style selection, asset pipeline, animation workflow.
4allowed-tools: Read, Glob, Grep
5---
6 
7# Game Art Principles
8 
9> Visual design thinking for games - style selection, asset pipelines, and art direction.
10 
11---
12 
13## 1. Art Style Selection
14 
15### Decision Tree
16 
17```
18What feeling should the game evoke?
19│
20├── Nostalgic / Retro
21│   ├── Limited palette? → Pixel Art
22│   └── Hand-drawn feel? → Vector / Flash style
23│
24├── Realistic / Immersive
25│   ├── High budget? → PBR 3D
26│   └── Stylized realism? → Hand-painted textures
27│
28├── Approachable / Casual
29│   ├── Clean shapes? → Flat / Minimalist
30│   └── Soft feel? → Gradient / Soft shadows
31│
32└── Unique / Experimental
33    └── Define custom style guide
34```
35 
36### Style Comparison Matrix
37 
38| Style | Production Speed | Skill Floor | Scalability | Best For |
39|-------|------------------|-------------|-------------|----------|
40| **Pixel Art** | Medium | Medium | Hard to hire | Indie, retro |
41| **Vector/Flat** | Fast | Low | Easy | Mobile, casual |
42| **Hand-painted** | Slow | High | Medium | Fantasy, stylized |
43| **PBR 3D** | Slow | High | AAA pipeline | Realistic games |
44| **Low-poly** | Fast | Medium | Easy | Indie 3D |
45| **Cel-shaded** | Medium | Medium | Medium | Anime, cartoon |
46 
47---
48 
49## 2. Asset Pipeline Decisions
50 
51### 2D Pipeline
52 
53| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
54|-------|--------------|--------|
55| **Concept** | Paper, Procreate, Photoshop | Reference sheet |
56| **Creation** | Aseprite, Photoshop, Krita | Individual sprites |
57| **Atlas** | TexturePacker, Aseprite | Spritesheet |
58| **Animation** | Spine, DragonBones, Frame-by-frame | Animation data |
59| **Integration** | Engine import | Game-ready assets |
60 
61### 3D Pipeline
62 
63| Phase | Tool Options | Output |
64|-------|--------------|--------|
65| **Concept** | 2D art, Blockout | Reference |
66| **Modeling** | Blender, Maya, 3ds Max | High-poly mesh |
67| **Retopology** | Blender, ZBrush | Game-ready mesh |
68| **UV/Texturing** | Substance Painter, Blender | Texture maps |
69| **Rigging** | Blender, Maya | Skeletal rig |
70| **Animation** | Blender, Maya, Mixamo | Animation clips |
71| **Export** | FBX, glTF | Engine-ready |
72 
73---
74 
75## 3. Color Theory Decisions
76 
77### Palette Selection
78 
79| Goal | Strategy | Example |
80|------|----------|---------|
81| **Harmony** | Complementary or analogous | Nature games |
82| **Contrast** | High saturation differences | Action games |
83| **Mood** | Warm/cool temperature | Horror, cozy |
84| **Readability** | Value contrast over hue | Gameplay clarity |
85 
86### Color Principles
87 
88- **Hierarchy:** Important elements should pop
89- **Consistency:** Same object = same color family
90- **Context:** Colors read differently on backgrounds
91- **Accessibility:** Don't rely only on color
92 
93---
94 
95## 4. Animation Principles
96 
97### The 12 Principles (Applied to Games)
98 
99| Principle | Game Application |
100|-----------|------------------|
101| **Squash & Stretch** | Jump arcs, impacts |
102| **Anticipation** | Wind-up before attack |
103| **Staging** | Clear silhouettes |
104| **Follow-through** | Hair, capes after movement |
105| **Slow in/out** | Easing on transitions |
106| **Arcs** | Natural movement paths |
107| **Secondary Action** | Breathing, blinking |
108| **Timing** | Frame count = weight/speed |
109| **Exaggeration** | Readable from distance |
110| **Appeal** | Memorable design |
111 
112### Frame Count Guidelines
113 
114| Action Type | Typical Frames | Feel |
115|-------------|----------------|------|
116| Idle breathing | 4-8 | Subtle |
117| Walk cycle | 6-12 | Smooth |
118| Run cycle | 4-8 | Energetic |
119| Attack | 3-6 | Snappy |
120| Death | 8-16 | Dramatic |
121 
122---
123 
124## 5. Resolution & Scale Decisions
125 
126### 2D Resolution by Platform
127 
128| Platform | Base Resolution | Sprite Scale |
129|----------|-----------------|--------------|
130| Mobile | 1080p | 64-128px characters |
131| Desktop | 1080p-4K | 128-256px characters |
132| Pixel art | 320x180 to 640x360 | 16-32px characters |
133 
134### Consistency Rule
135 
136Choose a base unit and stick to it:
137- Pixel art: Work at 1x, scale up (never down)
138- HD art: Define DPI, maintain ratio
139- 3D: 1 unit = 1 meter (industry standard)
140 
141---
142 
143## 6. Asset Organization
144 
145### Naming Convention
146 
147```
148[type]_[object]_[variant]_[state].[ext]
149 
150Examples:
151spr_player_idle_01.png
152tex_stone_wall_normal.png
153mesh_tree_oak_lod2.fbx
154```
155 
156### Folder Structure Principle
157 
158```
159assets/
160├── characters/
161│   ├── player/
162│   └── enemies/
163├── environment/
164│   ├── props/
165│   └── tiles/
166├── ui/
167├── effects/
168└── audio/
169```
170 
171---
172 
173## 7. Anti-Patterns
174 
175| Don't | Do |
176|-------|-----|
177| Mix art styles randomly | Define and follow style guide |
178| Work at final resolution only | Create at source resolution |
179| Ignore silhouette readability | Test at gameplay distance |
180| Over-detail background | Focus detail on player area |
181| Skip color testing | Test on target display |
182 
183---
184 
185> **Remember:** Art serves gameplay. If it doesn't help the player, it's decoration.
186