Design inspirations

As someone who loves creating experiences and various pretty things, I always appreciate when people spend a lot of attention designing something with coherence and beauty.
I’m not quite sure what term would be correct when talking about my design tastes, but I think this seed will describe it best. As long as something looks pretty and unique without compromising usability, you can count me in.

Need for Speed Unbound

Not gonna lie, I didn’t think an AAA game would ever land here, let alone a Need for Speed game. But Unbound truly is a work of art when it comes to the user interface. It’s nothing short of thoughtful choices and careful considerations to keep a coherent aesthetic.

Screenshot courtesy of the Game UI Database

Video excerpt from Shirakko

Video excerpt from GameRiot

I’m now realizing how hard it is to describe from just three examples, haha. I guess the reason why this game surprised me so much is that the art direction isn’t an afterthought, and it shows. Every menu interaction, from within gameplay or your garage, feels really polished in a way that stands out from other AAA games.

I believe this style is close to what people refer to as “Acid Grafix”? It might also be close to “Sportsbrut Design”? While also featuring touches of sketchy/graffiti-like design?
Either way, I find it neat that they both mix really well with each other.

Balatro

I don’t think this game requires an introduction, but in the event that you’ve not been following gaming news during 2024, Balatro is a “poker-inspired roguelike deck builder” game. You play increasingly powerful hands and “cheat” at the game by changing how some mechanics work in order to up the ante and achieve crazier combos.

Seriously, it takes a handful of minutes to learn, and around the same time to be hooked. No wonder it got nominated five times and won three awards at the latest Game Awards ceremony, especially with its recent mobile release.

Design-wise, there are two things that come to my mind:

• The learning process: despite this game having a lot of different jokers — and even more synergies as a result — it doesn’t feel intimidating at all.
  One notable example of me having troubles getting into a game is with The Binding of Isaac due to the sheer number of different items available in-game, but I’ve also had similar experiences with Terraria for the same reasons. To clarify, I like those two games a lot! But a new player is kind of dependent on their respective Wiki pages to properly get started, and this is something I’ve never felt the need for, with Balatro.
• The presentation: whether we’re talking about its signature tetradic color palette or its soundtrack (composed of a single song?!), Balatro definitely stands out. Everything feels dynamic, each motion is carefully executed, and each pixel on its canvas has a reason to be this way.

I’ll definitely go back and add more things in here, but this seed needs time to grow. Feel free to read 2025 or Garden’s plans for more info. :3