Designing Your Own Gaming Character? Here’s What You Need to Know

Designing a video game is a complex process that involves more than a particular plotline and enjoyable user experience. A fully-formed game needs sound and engaging characters. A game designer’s job is to come up with the characters and develop their story and motives. The characters in any video game enhance the story and act as an integral part of the game’s escapism.

If you’re considering creating your own game, you’ll need to ensure your characters are well-rounded and enhance the game’s overall experience. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to developing your own gaming character.

Using Silhouettes to Communicate Skillset

The silhouette of a character is more than simply drawing out their bodies. It involves communicating their abilities and their surroundings. If each character is built the same way, your game may lack creativity and diversity. Every component of your game is an opportunity to add an engaging element to the experience.

A character’s silhouette should explicitly communicate their abilities within the game. If you’re designing someone with a muscular build, you’ll likely want to ensure strength is one of their key characteristics. If they’re shorter in height, perhaps they’re faster on their feet. If your players cannot identify each character’s ability simply by looking at them, it may negatively impact the playing experience.

Visually Appealing

The importance of excellent graphics cannot be overstated. The visual aspect of video games is just as crucial to the experience as the plotlines and rewards. Visually engaging content should pull your players into the world you’ve created — making them feel like they’re a part of the story.

The characters you create should incorporate strong colors and dynamic composition — if you’re unsure where to begin, these Azzyland Characters are a great source of inspiration. While each video game is unique, the most popular games have specific characteristics, from the storyline to the characters. Their compositions are intense — each visual element is precise and translates well to today’s gaming devices. Characters are designed with usually appealing colors and shades that draw in each player’s eyes.

An essential element of designing video game characters is creating a strong connection between your world and the players involved. Charisma and energy will translate if the design itself is engaging. As a designer, the art itself is one of the most crucial elements of video game design.

Character Complexity

Oversimplification is something you’ll want to avoid when it comes to developing an original video game. Each character must be given a detailed backstory and personality. This adds a level of depth to your game — which players will appreciate.

Think of it this way — if you treat your characters as real people, you can better identify which traits and hobbies you want them to embody. When players turn on your game, they want to escape into another world — the complexity of your characters plays an integral part in that experience.