Choosing an art style for your game is a daunting prospect. The saying goes “you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover” but let’s face it we all do. Whether it’s books, films or games most of our decisions are made in the first few seconds visually before we have even read the synopsis. That visual reaction to what we are being introduced too influences our decision to delve further and find out more.
Of course we all have different tastes and opinions as to what we deem visually exciting but there is a reason certain covers draw in a larger percentage of people to discover more whilst others leave people feeling cold.
So when it comes to creating the art work for a project it’s incredibly important that you get it right! That cover could be the difference between someone picking up your product or glancing passed it on the shelf.
Choosing the art style for Haunted
Since the beginning of Haunteds creation we have all had a similar vision for the styling, obviously it needs to be dark and spooky, and as Haunted is set within a heightened real world environment we decided early on that the artwork should reflect that.
Heavily influenced by “real” pictures of ghosts the art of Haunted tries to remain as realistic as possible but also introduce the slightest fantasy graphic style into the mix.
Also Interspersed within the manuals are photos and drawings of “real” sightings (as imagined by our in-house artist).
Since the age of 7 when I first laid eyes on the “Dungeons & Dragons” red box and set of books I have been in love with the images that Larry Elmore graced the covers with.
Yes we all love D&d and there are a lot of reasons it is the most loved and played TTRPG out there and one of those reasons is the art work. We got drawn into that fantasy world because of the art, we imagined ourselves fighting that dragon because that art inspired our imaginations.
Artwork by Larry Elmore
Just as D&d appealed to us to want to be adventurers and delve into magic whilst fighting monsters of all shapes and sizes, Haunted aims to replicate those feelings by appealing to your sense of mystery, fear and that human trait of wanting to be scared.
If you have any questions relating to “Haunted” please feel free to contact us for more info.
