There are moments in game development when you feel overwhelmed. I never thought that the hardest part of my first game wouldn’t be the programming, but finding a visual style. I sit in front of my Unity game project TRAILS and realize: I know exactly what I want to feel, or rather what the player should feel. But I’m missing the right visuals to convey these feelings.
I should actually be deep into asset creation right now. My project is relatively far along. The game mechanics are defined and tested through prototypes. But whenever it comes to creation, I ask myself again: “Does this fit my world? Does it belong like this? Shouldn’t it look different? Do I need more or fewer details?”
All these doubts eat up my time, occupy me for days, and should really be defined somewhere.
My Main Problems in Detail
• Too many references, no clear direction
Of course I created a moodboard. I use tools like Pinterest for this. Over time, an incredible number of images accumulate that somehow fit the theme, but don’t provide a clear direction.
• Color chaos despite having a color palette
How many colors are needed to create a cohesive atmospheric overall picture? Every time I create a new asset, I’m uncertain about the color scheme. Should I only choose from my palette’s spectrum or can I add a new color?
• Communicating the style, but how?
When looking for support (freelancers or team members), the visual style must be communicated precisely. This keeps the effort as low as possible, because ideally newly produced assets fit seamlessly into the overall picture. Right now I’m missing detailed documents that present everything without doubt.
The Solution -> Art Bible
Maybe I’ve heard the term “Art Bible” before or read one. After all, Art Bibles are usually part of the Game Design Document. But I’ve never written or drawn one myself. At the beginning of my project, I also thought a Game Design Document was enough.
Only when I had trouble handing over everything important to a freelancer did I realize something was missing.
Getting external help is a big step for me. A very limited small budget also forces me to calculate precisely. I don’t want money thrown out the window because of my oversights.
That’s why I hope a detailed Art Bible will help me fix my problems.
What is an Art Bible for Me?
An Art Bible is my visual rulebook that helps me keep my style consistent across multiple projects. That doesn’t mean it can’t change. But it should be continuously developed.
The document should help make important decisions early, bring my game to a consistent visual style, and not limit creativity in the process.
Let’s Do This
“Good things take time.” Although creating the Art Bible will have a big impact on development time, I want to approach this with patience and care.
If you want to know how it continues, follow me here on Substack. Maybe this will help you with your project too. Do you have tips for me? Feel free to write to me. How do you approach this? Would you take the time or keep developing right away?
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