Behind the Scenes of Game Design – Jason

Crafting the Visuals: Behind the Scenes of Game Design – Jason, Art Director

How do you make sure each game looks visually engaging for players?
The look of each game starts with research.  We play other games of the same genre to get an idea of trends and expectations, and think about what we can add to make ours stand out.  I always want our games to have a visual hook that feels unique, whether it be an artistic choice or leveraging new technology to make an impact for players.

What’s one of your favorite game designs you’ve worked on at WorldWinner?
Lotería Fanstástica was a lot of fun.  It’s simply packed with animation and FX compared to the rest of the catalog.  Bringing 74 cards to life was a big challenge, but the result speaks for itself… in 2 languages.

What’s a cool or unexpected visual detail in a game that players might not notice at first?
Puzzle Match’s shapes are visually distinct but easy to pair up.  Each match is split along a different angle and sliced with a different number of straight or curved lines.  To reinforce how they fit together, the background of the stone fades out as you drag it, so you can see through to it’s match before releasing.

For the next generation of card games, currently in beta, we designed a new set of Royals, and gave each suit a different personality.  Spades wear a grumpy scowl, while Hearts are so full of love they give the player a wink.  These little touches are not just ornamental, black cards face right, and red cards left, to aid in quick recognition.

How do you stay creative when working on new game visuals?
You have to draw inspiration from other places than just mobile games.  So many on the market appear identical, so we cross genres.  I’ve looked to movies and television, specifically animation where big studios are taking risks with how they stylize.  Board games, comics, even fashion, are full of talented artists you can catch a spark from.

What’s the best part of being an art designer at WorldWinner?
Not only do I get to work on a new game, with a new fresh look, every few months… I’m working on 4 different games at a time.  It certainly never gets boring.