What feeling should the game evoke?
│
├── Nostalgic / Retro
│   ├── Limited palette? → Pixel Art
│   └── Hand-drawn feel? → Vector / Flash style
│
├── Realistic / Immersive
│   ├── High budget? → PBR 3D
│   └── Stylized realism? → Hand-painted textures
│
├── Approachable / Casual
│   ├── Clean shapes? → Flat / Minimalist
│   └── Soft feel? → Gradient / Soft shadows
│
└── Unique / Experimental
    └── Define custom style guide

Style Comparison Matrix

Style	Production Speed	Skill Floor	Scalability	Best For
Pixel Art	Medium	Medium	Hard to hire	Indie, retro
Vector/Flat	Fast	Low	Easy	Mobile, casual
Hand-painted	Slow	High	Medium	Fantasy, stylized
PBR 3D	Slow	High	AAA pipeline	Realistic games
Low-poly	Fast	Medium	Easy	Indie 3D
Cel-shaded	Medium	Medium	Medium	Anime, cartoon

2. Asset Pipeline Decisions

2D Pipeline

Phase	Tool Options	Output
Concept	Paper, Procreate, Photoshop	Reference sheet
Creation	Aseprite, Photoshop, Krita	Individual sprites
Atlas	TexturePacker, Aseprite	Spritesheet
Animation	Spine, DragonBones, Frame-by-frame	Animation data
Integration	Engine import	Game-ready assets

3D Pipeline

Phase	Tool Options	Output
Concept	2D art, Blockout	Reference
Modeling	Blender, Maya, 3ds Max	High-poly mesh
Retopology	Blender, ZBrush	Game-ready mesh
UV/Texturing	Substance Painter, Blender	Texture maps
Rigging	Blender, Maya	Skeletal rig
Animation	Blender, Maya, Mixamo	Animation clips
Export	FBX, glTF	Engine-ready

3. Color Theory Decisions

Palette Selection

Goal	Strategy	Example
Harmony	Complementary or analogous	Nature games
Contrast	High saturation differences	Action games
Mood	Warm/cool temperature	Horror, cozy
Readability	Value contrast over hue	Gameplay clarity

Color Principles

Hierarchy: Important elements should pop
Consistency: Same object = same color family
Context: Colors read differently on backgrounds
Accessibility: Don't rely only on color

4. Animation Principles

The 12 Principles (Applied to Games)

Principle	Game Application
Squash & Stretch	Jump arcs, impacts
Anticipation	Wind-up before attack
Staging	Clear silhouettes
Follow-through	Hair, capes after movement
Slow in/out	Easing on transitions
Arcs	Natural movement paths
Secondary Action	Breathing, blinking
Timing	Frame count = weight/speed
Exaggeration	Readable from distance
Appeal	Memorable design

Frame Count Guidelines

Action Type	Typical Frames	Feel
Idle breathing	4-8	Subtle
Walk cycle	6-12	Smooth
Run cycle	4-8	Energetic
Attack	3-6	Snappy
Death	8-16	Dramatic

5. Resolution & Scale Decisions

2D Resolution by Platform

Platform	Base Resolution	Sprite Scale
Mobile	1080p	64-128px characters
Desktop	1080p-4K	128-256px characters
Pixel art	320x180 to 640x360	16-32px characters

Consistency Rule

Choose a base unit and stick to it:

Pixel art: Work at 1x, scale up (never down)
HD art: Define DPI, maintain ratio
3D: 1 unit = 1 meter (industry standard)

6. Asset Organization

Naming Convention

[type]_[object]_[variant]_[state].[ext]

Examples:
spr_player_idle_01.png
tex_stone_wall_normal.png
mesh_tree_oak_lod2.fbx

Folder Structure Principle

assets/
├── characters/
│   ├── player/
│   └── enemies/
├── environment/
│   ├── props/
│   └── tiles/
├── ui/
├── effects/
└── audio/

7. Anti-Patterns

Don't	Do
Mix art styles randomly	Define and follow style guide
Work at final resolution only	Create at source resolution
Ignore silhouette readability	Test at gameplay distance
Over-detail background	Focus detail on player area
Skip color testing	Test on target display

Remember: Art serves gameplay. If it doesn't help the player, it's decoration.

game-art

Game Art Principles

1. Art Style Selection

Decision Tree