Understated Line Art and the Graphic Design of Cartref
For the past few months, I’ve worked on a new game that requires understated art. Several games have caught my attention and inspired an art direction.
For the past few months, I’ve worked on a new game that requires understated art. Several games have caught my attention and inspired an art direction.
I previously identified commonalities in game art that players called awesome. In this post, I test if those generalizations apply to top-ranked fantasy games.
What do the art pieces in successful games have in common? Let’s compare a sample of top-rated games that have reputedly “awesome art” to find commonalities.
Most game designers and developers don’t also do art and graphic design. Yet a few special people succeed in mastering multiple areas. They’re an inspiration!
While the fundamentals of graphic design are no mystery, little guidance exists on applying fundamentals to tabletop games. This article zooms in on framing.
Martin runs the awesome little “Print and Play Hideaway” group on Facebook and is, as far as I can tell, the king of table presence when it comes to PNP’s.
Some games feature cute creatures. Shamelessly cute creatures. Creatures so cute that you have to grab the box when browsing your friendly local game store.
In graphic design, a “motif” communicates a feeling without drawing conscious attention. Yet such motifs contribute to thematic presence, amplifying immersiveness.
Dear designers, consider this easy way to grab attention: don’t mindlessly emulate the Monopoly layout, with a board and a few rows of other components nearby.
I observe that publishers rarely invest much in art for objective cards, and I see a few justifications for this choice. There are, of course, exceptions.