directing-game-visuals

Use this skill to make game visuals communicate play state, not just decorate the screen.

Default artifacts:

• If a project directory is known, put the full visual plan in <PROJECT_DIR>/VISUAL_DESIGN.md.
• If the project already has a README or design note with a visual/audio section, keep that section as a short summary and update it only when the visual direction changes.
• When pixel-art assets will be generated later, include an asset handoff section that states which elements stay procedural, which become assets, palette constraints, and readability acceptance criteria.
• If no visual tags are provided, derive 2-3 concept-derived tags from the concept's material, geometry, motion, or atmosphere, and label them as such in VISUAL_DESIGN.md.

Core rules:

• Establish one protagonist, one primary danger, and one primary reward signal before adding detail.
• Assign palette colors to gameplay roles.
• Feedback must be legible without UI text: motion, shape, impact, timing, contrast, and sound hooks should carry meaning.
• Keep the center readable; push noisy texture and secondary motion to the periphery unless the mechanic demands otherwise.
• Avoid familiar template symbols unless they are transformed by the game's visual logic.