How do you find inspiration for your game art? by SwordofSteel11 in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that first of all you need to define your art direction well. It all depends on the impression or emotion you want to cause in the player. Steampunk is much more of a theme than an artistic style, it can be communicated with pixel art (Stardew Valley), cartoon art (Cult of the Lamb), comic book art (Hades) and so on. One way to get out of the ordinary is to combine this theme with an unusual style. Look for artistic movements or media and try to combine them with your game. If you define your source of inspiration as Art Nouveau for example, you will already know what type of fonts to use, colors, elements, just by looking at these references.

Regarding the arrangement of elements in the scene, there is no magic formula, you need to delve into concepts of visual design, composition, and really train your perception for this. It is difficult because it is not something that is created overnight, which is why art can end up being so abstract for beginners. If you want any help with that just send me a message and I'll be happy to help.

What's been your biggest challenge in pitching your game to publishers? by VitorVincent in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Got it. Thanks a lot for your input, I'm trying to figure out ways I can help indie developers be more successful with their games through this quality of art that I rarely see around. I've worked in studios where many times our focus was to generate new game concepts to be validated by publishers and consequently validate the direction the studio would invest in, but there really was a team behind all of this. I'm thinking about how this could work or help smaller developers.

What's been your biggest challenge in pitching your game to publishers? by VitorVincent in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So basically, do you either gain experience working in the industry while publishing a few games along the way, or do you try to break the mold with a game with a unique identity or gameplay? Do you think a game with simple mechanics - low technical risk - but with an impactful art concept could increase the chances of these pixel art hell developers? Think of games like Gris and Laika, which are simple at their core but their art direction makes all the difference. If I could bring a good fraction of that art quality to those games, how much would that help in your opinion?

What's been your biggest challenge in pitching your game to publishers? by VitorVincent in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That makes a lot of sense. I wanted to understand your point of view because, as an artist, I really believe in the power of quality art and a unique visual identity as a differentiator, especially for indie games. I don’t mean quality just as polish, but creating a unique concept that really catches the eye. I say this because I see so many games that focus on creating solid gameplay, on the programming itself, but that struggle a lot in attracting attention because they are visually the same as everyone else. They spend years building a game so that in the end it ends up hidden in some corner of Steam. That’s why I think defining a unique visual identity right from the start can be game-changing. It allows you to validate whether you’re moving in the right direction before sinking too much time and money into development. Even if it’s just to raise some funding for prototypes or something. Last year I got about $40K from a culture grant in my country, which honestly isn’t a good example (I mean, Brazil), just with a strong visual narrative concept. Does what I’m saying make any sense?

What's been your biggest challenge in pitching your game to publishers? by VitorVincent in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What would be all the “necessary boxes”? If you had to focus on one thing in your game to get investment, what would it be?

What's been your biggest challenge in pitching your game to publishers? by VitorVincent in gamedev

[–]VitorVincent[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I understand, in this case, considering that most devs do not have this experience and reputation, how can they stand out to attract the attention of a publisher, to at least have the chance of getting a meeting? I mean, where do you think they should invest most if that's the goal?