Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
In
Chapter 3
,
Graphics for Mobile
, we described the most common techniques to
design nice graphics for mobile games; we will reiterate them here.
First of all, pick two/three reference mobile phone models to design your game
graphics and interface around and make separate assets for each main screen res-
olution. We know now that simply shrinking icons up and down won't work. The fol-
lowing figure displays a comparison between different smartphone screens:
Use smart color schemes to make the main character, its enemies/obstacles, and
the background environment well recognizable. Also spend some time on character
design to be sure that game characters are appealing and meaningful.
It may seem trivial, but if your game relies on large gameplay areas, display less of
the play field at a time and allow the window of the visible gameplay to scroll over
the total play field.
Game controls
While designing the user interface, be aware of the fact that virtual buttons encumber
the gameplay area, so try to find a good balance between game mechanics and the
number of controls required to manage them.
The following screenshot represents a mobile platform game with virtual buttons
made by one of the authors:
