INTRO TO SWATCHES

If you want to build a game world in your mind, it’s helpful to learn about the mood behind your visuals. At Game Not Included, we do this through Swatches.
Begin with a Mood

SUSPICIOus

Swatches are a tool to help you define the visual mood of your game objects by breaking them down into simple components. Start by choosing the emotion you want to work with.
Collect Inspiration
Collect images that capture the mood you are going for. Search for images online that inspire you, or better yet take pictures of the world around you to use in your design. Create a collage from your collection called a Mood Board.
Break It Down
COLOR
SHAPE
PATTERN
What does the emotion you chose look like? What colors does it have? Is it sharp and jagged, or is it smooth? Using color, pattern, and shape, draw out the look and feel for your subject. This will be the Motif that breathes life into your design.
Form an Aesthetic
Combine the different visuals from your Motif into a single form called a Swatch. This emblem serves as shorthand for you to remember the emotion of your world as you create from it.
Apply to Anything
Once created, you can use swatches to inspire any part of your world. Learn how to incorporate the color, shape and pattern of your swatches into your designs.
Build Your Collection
RESTLESS
CURIOUS
CHEERFUL
Don’t stop at just one Swatch! A convincing world is brimming with a population unique moods, each interacting with the next in a complex ecosystem.
Make Your First Swatch
That’s enough talk! Let’s take this Swatch-making business out for a test-run and learn how to use emotions to make better art.

Get started on your first Swatch: