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Monument Valley is a puzzle game that was released in 2014 for mobile platforms. Alto’s Adventure, released the next year, is an infinite runner. Both of these games were great successes upon their initial release, receiving glowing reviews from both critics and players. The pair is currently regarded as two of the classic mobile art games.
The art of Monument Valley and Alto’s Adventure was one of the reasons for their success. Ustwo Games and Snowman, the game developers, produced unique art styles for their games. As a result, mobile game art that was both visually appealing and practical on smartphones was created.
You, too, can follow Ustwo Games’ and Snowman’s lead prioritize the art in your mobile game, and reap the same rewards. Because art is essential for players. Whether it’s a 2D hyper-casual game or a 3D battle royale game, mobile gamers pay attention to the art.
However, creating mobile game art is a difficult task. Mobile game developers must overcome hurdles that are very different from those faced by console and PC game developers. To create game art like the developers of Monument Valley and Alto’s Adventure, artists must maximize their abilities.
This may appear intimidating if you are new to the world of mobile game art. So, here are a few guidelines to help you started with developing game art for mobile games:
6 Best Practices to Create the Best Mobile Art Game:
1. Collaborate With the Designers
You must collaborate closely with your game’s designer/designers when designing the art for your game. This will benefit you in a number of ways.
One, it assists you in developing an art style that is appropriate for your game. Collaborate with your design team to figure out how to make their concept into a game using images.
Two, it assists you in striking a balance between looks and functionality. This is critical in mobile games. Other gaming platforms do not have the constraints that this platform does. Work with the design team to determine what functions art will play in your game without interfering with gameplay.
2. Use Art to Relay Information
All visual mediums follow the mantra “show, don’t tell.” Films, TV shows, and advertisements all attempt to follow this to the letter. The same holds true for mobile games. Perhaps even more than in others.
Because mobile players want to be given information aesthetically. They dislike reading long passages of text. They are not fond of lengthy lessons. As a result, you should use art in novel ways to enhance gameplay.
A good example is the video game ‘Badland.’ In Badland, players learn which items are significant by observing which objects are light. Badland’s game designers have carefully designed the background and foreground so that the glowing objects are easy to notice.
And the gamers intuitively know they must approach the glowing item. There is no need for words or instruction with this visual hint.
Other game creators employ visual cues to assist their players in learning how to play their game. The visual signals in the game prompt players to make various decisions in the game, such as selecting a specific item, attacking a specific enemy, or moving towards a specific location.
By doing so, you can understand the game’s rules, basic principles, and so on without having to watch a tutorial.
3. Research Competitors
Look at other games in your genre to learn a lot about how to create game art. Take a look at the finest games in your category to find out which art styles are popular. Look at the worst of the bunch to learn which art styles don’t go well with the genre.
This allows you to learn about the preferences of your target audience. You can then develop a distinct artistic style that your audience will like. You are not required to ignore the art styles used by unsuccessful games in your category. You are not required to use the same art styles as successful games. All you have to do is learn from them.
You can go against the grain if you learn from others. Consider Alto’s Adventure. The game’s creators sought to create an unending mobile runner. They researched prominent games in the Endless Runner genre before production. Based on their research, they decided to go with an art style that was different from the games they looked at.
And it was effective. Players were drawn in by the distinctive art. Many of them played the game and enjoyed it. The game’s popularity grew as word spread about it.
4. Improve it Over Time
Clash of Clans was published by Supercell in 2012. The game’s art style was appropriate for the time it was launched. Supercell upgraded the game several times during the next few years.
They learned their players’ tastes and improved the gameplay experience. This resulted in modifications in art style as well. The contemporary art style is more appropriate for the current era.
If you intend to add new content to your game via updates after it has been released, you have the opportunity to upgrade your art style. You may study your players’ preferences and continuously enhance the art style, just like Supercell. The art style you choose for your first release does not have to be permanent.
5. Pick the Right File Types
In comparison to consoles and PCs, mobile phones have restricted hardware capabilities. They have less storage, less powerful CPUs and GPUs, and no dedicated controllers. To gain the optimum performance, you must select the appropriate file formats.
The correct file types will give you better performance without sacrificing quality. There are numerous file kinds to pick from, depending on the sort of art asset file and what you intend to use it for.
6. Accommodate for Numerous Screen Sizes
The smartphone market is enormous. It is made up of devices with various screen sizes. To achieve the best outcomes, game artists must adapt their art to as many of these as feasible.
This necessitates a significant amount of time spent brainstorming, tinkering, and experimenting. However, after testing your artwork on several devices with different screen sizes, you will eventually get the desired results. You simply need to devote time to it. However, it will be worthwhile.
Conclusion
If you concentrate on game art, you will reap numerous benefits. If done well, art may be a valuable asset to your game. Such as in the games Monument Valley, Alto’s Adventure, and Lost Journey.
Choosing a top team of mobile game developers is the finest technique to make art in this manner. A top team, such as Juego Studio, can design the games you desire, with the appropriate art style.
We, at Juego Studio, have built a number of games for the Android and iOS platforms, many of which have received praise for their art, which was created by our top-notch art team. When you use our game creation services, you can rest assured that you will receive a game that meets the highest quality requirements.
