Category Archives: Aesthetic Layout

Creating Disturbing (!) Environments for Players

by Brice Morrison

“I saw a giant, strange orb in front of me.  I didn’t know what it is, or even who I was.  I moved towards it, and immediately a strange alien sound started to play.  I stopped and pulled back, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Indie Game Design | 6 Comments


How Trauma Evokes a Realistic Atmosphere

by Brice Morrison

Trauma, a game that was a two-category finalist in the 2010 Independent Game Festival, is a title that I personally have been looking forward to for a long time.  Following the story of a woman who survives a car accident, … Continue reading →

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Game Artwork: Choosing the Perfect Style for You

by Brice Morrison

Photo: Mr. T in DC “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a phrase that many people are familiar with.  The point is that the essence of a book has nothing to do with the cover.  The experience of … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Storytelling in Games is Useless. Right?

by Brice Morrison

This game analysis was suggested by TGP reader Liordino.  If you have a game you’d like analyzed, submit it along with your name and website (if you have one), and what you think readers could learn from it! Point and … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Storytelling | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Focus, Atmosphere, Limitations: Learning from Shadow of the Colossus

by Brice Morrison

Shadow of the Colossus is considered a landmark title that was developed by a highly disciplined and intelligent team.  Released in 2005 for the Playstation 2, the critically acclaimed title featured incredibly expansive, vast worlds and even more vast enemies … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Mechanics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Polish: Turning Onetime Players Into Diehard Fans

by Brice Morrison

How can a game feel like it was made by the developers “out of love”?  How can a game seem like the developers implemented everything that they thought would be fun and interesting, lacking nothing?  How can a game feel … Continue reading →

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What Game Designers can learn from “Avatar”

by Brice Morrison

Avatar recently became the second highest grossing film of all time, bested only by James Cameron’s previous blockbuster, Titanic.  I was skeptical at first when I saw the trailer, but the box office numbers pushed me over the edge and … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Opinion | 15 Comments

Making Jump-Out-Of-Your-Seat Moments in a Game

by Brice Morrison

In our final article detailing the Game Design Canvas, we talked about the Aesthetic Layout, the icing on the cake, the visuals and sounds and interaction methods that give games their artistic spark.  Many games are revered for their gameplay, … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout | 5 Comments

The Game Design Canvas: Aesthetic Layout

by Brice Morrison

Photo: Creativity+Timothy K Hamilton Who cares if the main character is wearing silver armor or an orange cloak?  Does it really matter if your military troop is fighting in Europe or Asia?  There can’t be any difference between a game … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Game Design Canvas | Tagged | 6 Comments

Making Great Pixel Art with Free Graphics Tools

by Brice Morrison

[In this guest post supplied by Chris Denyer, he discusses simple ways that anyone working on an indie title can make their game look prettier with some sleek pixel art techniques.  His article originally appeared on The Daily Click.] There … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Indie Game Design | Tagged , | 1 Comment