minimalist art - a viable style?

[tolworthy]

Is it realistic to make a story driven game with an ultra-minimalist art style? Something like the stye used in the Good New Bible? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3501430.stm

For reasons that I won't bore you with, I'm considering replacing all my game art with this style. I can see a number of major advantages for my game in particular:

1. My game is very large, and is based on stories. This art style is easy to create. It's extremely practical for my needs.
2. My game is based on writing, and deals with abstract concepts and ambiguity. This style suits it.
3. My game at present has inconsistent art styles. I am guessing that even if "minimalist" isn't popular, it's much better than "Inconsistent"?
4. This style will make my game instantly recognizable, memorable, and will be a talking point.

Could it work? The nearest thing I can think of is ASCII Star Wars. http://www.asciimation.co.nz/ though my game would have smoother flowing lines.

[Qitsune]

Will your game have only static images? How much animation will it have? How complicated is the action? Will the screen be cluttered? The thing is, minimalist art in black and white like that makes it harder to separate everything on the screen, it also makes it harder to read animations and "filling" incomplete lines is a pain so doing the animation minimaly isn't necessarily the most cost effective solution.

I don't mean to say that it will cost you as much as traditionnal animation but you won't save as much as one would think at first.

Also, I personally dislike this style, dunno how popular it is with others.

[tolworthy]

Will your game have only static images? How much animation will it have? How complicated is the action? Will the screen be cluttered?
Cluttered, no. One advantage of this is I only need to draw the objects that matter, and hint at the rest. A typical scene is the main character, the road, buildings, and other people going about their work. Each should be fairly consistent, with a strong shape.

Yes there will be animation - it's a classic point and click game. A big disadvantage of regular click games is they require a lot of work for simple animations like climbing, bending, turning, falling, etc. A minimalist style would make those animations much easier. Animated crowd scenes would be the biggest time saving of all, though I appreciate that I'd have to be careful - I don't ant a crowd to just look like a mess of lines and circles.

Also, I personally dislike this style, dunno how popular it is with others.
Thats what I'm trying to judge. I come from a comics background, and I am perfectly happy with art that changes style from story to story (or even within a story, when artists combine sketches and photos). But everyone tells me I need to be polished and consistent. Given my time constraints, the only polished and consistent style I could manage would be minimalist.

The style itself does nothing for me personally, but I can see it would have vtechnical and possibly marketing advantages. If potential customers like it then that's what matters. But I really need to know. :)

[Staton_Richardson]

It worked for Simon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVhLHPTUpY

You will still have to animate your sprites and you need a good artist
The line weight, thickness, shape and curve represent 3d contours to
the eye and if it's not just right it confuses the viewer. With color and
shape it's easier to recognize the object you are trying to represent.
I still think it's a good idea if it fits the content you are pushing with
the game.

[GBGames]

It worked for Simon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVhLHPTUpY


Oh, wow! Thanks for that trip back down memory lane!

[GnadeGames]

I certainly think the minimalist approach could work. It would definitely make the game distinct and different. if done well, it could be really cool. I say go for it.

[Greg Squire]

A distinctive art style could very well be a good thing to have in a game. It helps set it apart from the thousands of others. I like the minimalist approach in those drawings, but you might consider adding some color to it for some added interest.

[mustardseed]

I don't know where you stand in art skills and whatnot, but minimalism is still a difficult form to work in.

Yes there is less to draw, but it becomes very important how those lines are drawn and used since there is less on the screen. You'll want some variety in your lines (thick and thin, etc) so that your images convey movement and don't become too static.

I would probably draw the pictures lightly in pencil, and trace them with brush and ink, just like the great cartoonists did (namely Bill Watterson).

Why don't you post an example of what your art looks like now, and what your minimalist drawings look like also so we can better give you advice.

[tolworthy]

Why don't you post an example of what your art looks like now, and what your minimalist drawings look like also so we can better give you advice.

Good idea! Here are screenshots of the game as it is now (http://www.lesmisgame.com/screenshots.html).

This is a page of art by Annie Vallotton (http://www.biblical-art.com/artist_artwork.asp?id_artist=2234&alt=2&pagenum=1), with links to more pages like it. If I changed style, the first step would be to redraw all existing art to look something like that. The next step would be to add more scenes, so what you lose in detail you gain in scope.

[jefferytitan]

Hmm, it seems like an interesting project. However I'm not mad keen on your existing graphics. To me the flat pastel backgrounds and digitised-looking people look a bit dated.

I think minimalism could work, I guess the challenge would be making the important things stand out. For example, you might want to make some use of colour for the main characters and objects, like in Schindler's List. Focus on emphasizing the important, like their expressions and the key objects in scenes. With minimalism you can also emphasize the UNimportant, such as making a crowd scene a mass of vague human shapes without any details. I agree with others in that it won't necessarily make the art easier to produce, unless you are skilled at line drawing but not at shading etc.

[electronicStar]

Good idea! Here are screenshots of the game as it is now (http://www.lesmisgame.com/screenshots.html).
At the moment some of the pictures look just like if you took and pasted random images into a painting and applied a filter over it (i.e. not good).
I think if you don't have time to make the art, the best solution would be to team up with motivated artist.
In the 3 "same place, different worlds" pictures, the one in the middle doesn't look very good.
If you're going after a literary work, maybe you could use a technique where you use words, for example instead of drawing the moon, you write "the moon" at the place where it should be, it would be text with a spatial repartition.
It's just a random idea feel free to ignore it if it sucks :D

[Agent 4125]

You should choose what's right for the overall concept:

The game is about stories. Different views of reality. What is real, and what matters.

I think your current style fits this very well. All of those wildly different styles is more intriguing than just a single, hip style. I really like how you have crude child-like drawings and 3-D computer scenes side-by-side.

Also, what works for print won't necessarily work for a computer game.

[tolworthy]

To get a better idea of the current state of the game art, someone requested that I make a video of the game with a voiceover. I just uploaded it to YouTube, and when it's finished processing it should (in theory) be here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0hTnFF97po

[barrygamer]

Since I don't play adventure games, perhaps I shouldn't comment, but anyway. Was interesting to read your blog + watch the video clip.

As you mention, people will be alarmed at a non-consistent style, or a game that doesn't look polished. Whether thats entirely true for your target audience, I dont know. The lack of aliasing in your graphics does make them look old-fashioned.

The link you gave (the BBC page) is perhaps a little too sparse a style, for my tastes, but I'm sure it could work, perhaps with colour wash added. As others mentioned above, it might not necessarily be an easy style when you get down to it? Many books have pen & ink style drawings, is that what you are leaning toward? Your game is based on a book, after all :)

From your video clip its clear you've put a lot of effort into the game. Surely if you go back to change hundreds of scenes you will never finish the project? The style you have now gives you total freedom when creating each scene. So, I can see the argument for not changing things...

There is perhaps a third option: I like the book-style UI graphics in the video clip. You also had some very nice map image. One idea is that you could perhaps get an artist to do some very polished UI graphics, to 'frame' the rest of the game, so the scenes are not full screen. It then looks much more polished? Since the game is based on a book, again that would seem ideal. You might still want to apply some filters to some graphics, but you'd be able to keep all your completed work, and concentrate on finishing the game? As a somewhat random example, I've attached a screenshot from the UI of a casual game 'Treasures of Montezuma' (IMO one of the most beautiful). Its a puzzle game, ignore that fact, its just this UI style I'm talking about:

[jefferytitan]

I think your current style fits this very well. All of those wildly different styles is more intriguing than just a single, hip style. I really like how you have crude child-like drawings and 3-D computer scenes side-by-side.

I forgot to mention that - I thought the different styles was cool too. It would be interesting to see the world from the perspective of different characters (although maybe not the point of this project?). There could also be subtleties, e.g. features vary depending upon how the person you're filtering through feels about people, like dislike = ugly.

[tolworthy]

Since I don't play adventure games, perhaps I shouldn't comment
No, that's exactly why I do want your comments! I've posted the same question at an adventure gamer forum, and it's interesting to compare the responses. Most adventure gamers are more interested in the story than the graphics, and oftne play old games and freeware games, so the inconsistency and lack of polish is not a problem for them. However, that is a small niche market. Here on indiegamers I get a wider perspective, and one that's heavily influenced by the need to be commercial. If I want any chance of appealing to non-adventure gamers then I need to hear from non-adventure gamers. :)

Many books have pen & ink style drawings, is that what you are leaning toward? Yes, exactly. I love simple sketches that convery an idea with a minimum of lines. Exactly HOW minimal is the question, but I want to stimulate the inmagination, not replace it.

Surely if you go back to change hundreds of scenes you will never finish the project?Not hundreds, thousands. Hence the need for a VERY simple style. When I hit my stride I reckon I can average ten per night, and get the existing art converted in six months. The down side is that it will push the release date back 6 months. The up side is that it should produce a more saleable product, which should mean I still make my sales targets at around the same time. And the real benefit comes in later years as I expand the game for future releases.

There is perhaps a third option: I like the book-style UI graphics in the video clip.That's a really interesting idea. My initial reaction is that it removes oe of the key selling points of an adventure, the idea of actually being inside a world and exploring it rather than just seeing it, but there could be ways around that. Interesting suggestion. Thanks!

[tolworthy]

It would be interesting to see the world from the perspective of different characters
That's an intriguing idea and would solve the inconsistency problem. Thanks.

But something happened this morning that may make this thread almost obsolete. I received the first music from the composer. (The game already has over 12 hours of stock music, but this is the first specially composed music.) It's beautiful, powerful stuff. It just oozes quality and depth.

I tried the new music with the scene where a major character dies. My existing animation is very clever and has its moments, and until this morning I considered it one of the best parts of the game. But alongside this music it was just silly and embarassing. Yet I could visualize this music along side a minimalist animation of death and I think it would be very powerful indeed.

If the composer agrees with the new style (he's been something of a mentor to me) then the art question will have been answered. Though I'm still keen on getting others' opinions as well, as this is (for me) such a major decision.

[xenogears]

See in this game http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vib-Ribbon
From the creator of Parappa the Rapper for the first Playstation, only white lines and black background, sorry if is out off topic.

[Therion]

Did you play Hotel Dusk: Room 215 for Nintendo DS?, i loved that game style, and can suit your game very well... check this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvG1JCe05Ss

[tolworthy]

You did play Hotel Dusk: Room 215 for Nintendo DS?, i loved that game style, and can suit your game very well... check this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvG1JCe05Ss

That trailer is beautiful. Sadly it would take me far too long to do it that way, but I agree it's a great look.

See in this game http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vib-Ribbon
From the creator of Parappa the Rapper for the first Playstation, only white lines and black background, sorry if is out off topic.

That's amazing! Thanks, I didn't know about that. My plan is for nicer loking line drawings, but it established a precedent: a commercial game CAN have simple graphics and compete with the 3D crowd, if the idea is strong enough. Polish and complexity are not the same thing.

[HDL]

It's interesting to see how there's different opinions here from the thread over on the adventure gaming forums. I like the idea of the minimalist style and I'd love to see how it would be implemented in your game.

Just because you're using a minimalist approach doesn't mean you can't use the occassional splash of colour to highlight things.

I think the art would be sufficiently different to make it pop out from the rest of the adventure games that are out there and get people talking about it (which is always a plus). I believe it could also be a benefit to the game. In adventure games I'm frequently frustrated by background objects that look useful but you can't interact with them. Or the damned pixelhunting games you need to play in order to find a vital object you didn't even know was important. I loathe pixel hunting and with a minamalist approach to the art it seems like both problems would become non-existant since everything you drew would be needed.

[tolworthy]

I've put together three demo screenshots to show what my "Minimalist" art looks like. I welcome comments or suggestions. Nobody here has seen the old style in all its full size glory, but trust me, it was a lot worse.
http://www.lesmisgame.com/work_in_progress/scene1.gif
http://www.lesmisgame.com/work_in_progress/withcosette.gif
http://www.lesmisgame.com/work_in_progress/riverbank2.gif

[HDL]

Wow, I really, really like that. It looks so much cleaner and more professional than before. It's lovely.

[Christian]

I think its a great idea, go for it. A suggestion though, try adding expression to the faces of the main characters, minimalists expressions of course :)

Edit: wait, are you saying you want to change all those different styles that you show on the website for only one?, so all the game will look black and white?, i think thats a bad idea...

[Philippe]

Edit: wait, are you saying you want to change all those different styles that you show on the website for only one?, so all the game will look black and white?, i think thats a bad idea...

I don't necessarily think so. In fact, I think it's a vast improvement. And if you keep most of the game in black and white, adding a single color in some screens or to some characters could add great emphasis, possibly equivalent to what your previous variety of styles intended to do.
Definitely go for it (is my two cents).

[electronicStar]

If this takes you less time than what you're currently doing, then yes, by all means go for it.

This type of art can actually convey more emotions than the most complex examples of your previous screenshots, because the brain tends to replace the missing informations.

[barrygamer]

The new pics look good, I do like the way the people are drawn. Its personal taste of course, but I think more color washes/fills add to the overall effect (?). I'd perhaps like to compare with one that has color fills on everything.

cheers, b.

[Christian]

Well, what i was thinking is that the game would turn extremely monotonous, and boring, think about that if the graphics on the game are really an important part, then you also should give some kind of value through them, an importan value, an aesthetic experience, otherwise they would only be images to fill space.

Imagine this, you are looking to buying your next game, and you see this screenshots, do they communicate something worth your money?, do they communicate value?, effort?, i dont think so.

Black and white is not absolutelly bad, but for a game where you are going to see those images for quite a long time, then they need to be beautyfull, detailed, otherwise they can become boring too soon, and become annoying to the viewer.

[tolworthy]

if the graphics on the game are really an important part, then you also should give some kind of value through them, an importan value, an aesthetic experience, otherwise they would only be images to fill space.

Imagine this, you are looking to buying your next game, and you see this screenshots, do they communicate something worth your money?
I'm not really aiming at the mainstream games market. My target audience is adventure gamers and people who like stories. For these people it's not the pictures that count, but the ideas and emotions they convey.

I don't know if you've read Les Miserables, but it deals with redemption, sacrifice, guilt, death, betrayal and hope. One of the main reasons for a minimalist style is to tell a better story. Sometimes less is more. A simple image, the right words, and the right music, can be very powerful.

[Christian]

I agree, less is more, when the right things are applied, not because its simply "less", it CAN be very powerfull but only if you really know how to apply it succesfully, otherwise its just "less".
I think its a great idea to use it... but if you want to fill the entire game with it, then i suggest you to study really hard how to do it succesfully.

Heres a great example:
http://www.sdmaartistsguild.org/Festival/ROSEMARY_KIMBAL_Zen_Cat_Theda_Bara.jpg

Edit:
This will help you:
http://visipix.dynalias.com/sites/specials/hokusai/hoku_start.htm

http://www.ragoarts.com/onlinecats/12.10.06es/1048.jpg

It doesnt matter what market you aim, everyone judges a product with their eyes too, if they see something of low quality then it will be one point less, but if they see something really nice, then theyll be happier to buy it.
Pictures count, thats how we judge things, specially in video-games.

[tolworthy]

Heres a great example:
http://www.sdmaartistsguild.org/Festival/ROSEMARY_KIMBAL_Zen_Cat_Theda_Bara.jpg

This will help you:
http://visipix.dynalias.com/sites/specials/hokusai/hoku_start.htm

http://www.ragoarts.com/onlinecats/12.10.06es/1048.jpg

Ah, the classics. Beautiful. If I ever get good enough to draw like that then I'll have no worries. I'm taking your ideas on board. Today I'm trying for a watercolor effect in backgrounds, to see how it works.

[tolworthy]

Just an update: I've settled on a style of art that I'm happy with. Not as minimalist as originally planned (except for the sprites), but I think most people will agree it's better than the previous stuff. The pictures on my blog don't really do it justice, but they're pretty close to what the finished art will look like: http://lesmisgame.blogspot.com/

[benko]

Now way more polished and pleasant to the eye :) But I liked the idea of having different styles according to the reality dimension you were at.

[electronicStar]

Just an update: I've settled on a style of art that I'm happy with. Not as minimalist as originally planned (except for the sprites), but I think most people will agree it's better than the previous stuff. The pictures on my blog don't really do it justice, but they're pretty close to what the finished art will look like: http://lesmisgame.blogspot.com/
Well done, this looks much better. And if it helps you finish the game faster then it's all good.

[barrygamer]

Am liking the new pictures very much! The combination of effects you are using really works, in my opinion.

[Backov]

Not to be a cynic, but I smell critical acclaim and no money headed your way. :)

It's beautiful work though.

[Greg Squire]

I also like the new art style as well. Nicely done!

[tolworthy]

This is just an update to say I posted a video of the game as it stands right now, so you can see what the art looks like in situ. The game still needs work, and the video voice over is rubbish (just me reading from some notes), but it gives a pretty good idea of the graphics.

On the web site: http://www.LesMisGame.com /

or on the blog: http://lesmisgame.blogspot.com/

or on YouTube (large size, but low resolution): http://www.youtube.com/v/iSvBku9Q05Q

[Cartman]

This looks amazing! The style is so unique. I can't wait to try it out.

[dma]

This is just an update to say I posted a video of the game as it stands right now, so you can see what the art looks like in situ. The game still needs work, and the video voice over is rubbish (just me reading from some notes), but it gives a pretty good idea of the graphics.

Very nice! And you wanted to give it away for free because you thought that it might not be good enough to sell? I think you might be a bit of a perfectionist, because you're looking at every tiny little flaw, when 99% of people out there will be looking at what's good and unique about what you've done, not the flaws you're focusing on. Even the voiceover is better than you give it credit for.

Anyway, looks good, can't wait to see the finished game. :D

[sound app]

It looks positively amazing. Bravo !!!

[OremLK]

I love the art. The moment at the end of the trailer (the bench under the tree) was almost breathtaking in its beauty.

I'm definitely curious about the gameplay now. Is there anywhere you've described it in detail in the past? I don't see much information on the website, but perhaps a previous blog entry or some such?

[tolworthy]

Thanks. I guess I can come out from under the bedclothes now that it seems people don't hate it.

As you say, I am acutely aware of all its flaws, but have to remember that other people won't be (and besides, even big name commercial games have flaws).

I love the art. The moment at the end of the trailer (the bench under the tree) was almost breathtaking in its beauty.

I'm so glad you said that, because that's the look and feel I really want in the game. I packed the video with more animated parts, because everyone expects that (and because quiet moments don't come across well on short commercials), but that's what I'm really aiming for. Minimalist, where the power comes from what's inside the user's head, not what's on the screen. So thanks.

I'm definitely curious about the gameplay now. Is there anywhere you've described it in detail in the past? I don't see much information on the website, but perhaps a previous blog entry or some such?

LOL! I'm endlessly rambling about that on the blog, mainly because it is constantly evolving, for technical reasons. I won't bore you with all the details, but there have been major changes in almost every concept of gameplay.

WARNING: LONG REPLY AHEAD!

I just wrote a very, very long reply to your question, and believe it or not, this is the short version. I think it can boil down to this: think of the user as a disembodied spirit. The user's identity is not even mentioned in the first game. (It's not important at this stage, though it will become important in later games). But it's the easy way to understand the gameplay.

Like a disembodied spirit, most people are unaware of your presence, and you cannot force them to do anything against their will, but yo can promt them to act, you have access to their innermost thoughts, and you can suggest ideas to them.

There are technical, entertainment, and narrative reasons for this.

Technical reasons: Giving free will to the characters lets me limit what can happen, without it appearing to be limited. If I coded every possible interaction then the game would take a thousand years to code, and most events would be very boring. This way I can decide how people react, so as to push the story along, but still give the feeling of being in control. Basically in this game you click on people you think are important at the time, to make stuff happen. And when they find a problem they can't solve then you click on other stuff you think might help. It sounds simple, and it is, but it allows for the full range of "combine X with Y" and "look at" and "talk to" puzzles without the distracting verb interface.

Entertainment reasons: Books and movies are successful because they give high reward for little effort. There are no complex button pushes or secret moves to learn, and you do not get too frustrated in blind alleys. Likewise, in the game you just clisk around and interesting stuff happens. And when you face a problem you have to thionk, but the solution is alwatys justa few clicks away, and meanwhile the characters will respond to your clicks in ways that make the story interesting.

Hardcore gamers could no doubt finish this game in just a few hours, but the real enjoyment comes from the story, and the secondary details. I want this to be the kind of game that any casual gamer could dive into, be stimulated and rewarded, and then leave and come back alater. Eventually when there are many different stories, I want people to jst wander around the game world until they find a situation that interests them and then follow it until something else interests them even more. Kind of like a virtual online community, but with more interesting stories.

Finally, the narrative reasons. For me, traditional adventure games weaken their stories by their gameplay.

First, in traditional adventures you have an in-story character. Why is that a problem? Consider Les Miserables. Who would you be? Jean Valjean? He is absent from some key events. Someone else then? Then you can't deal with those parts of the story where Valjean is terribly alone. Or you switch between characters? That destroys any illusion of reality, and highlights the problem of puppets on a string.

Second, the puppets on a string problem. Part of the enjoyment of books and movies is seeing the characters as real people, who do unexpected things, and they have complex personalities and their own motives. But a game makes them one dimensional puppets. I like my characters to feel like real people. Real people simply do not do what thery are told. They do sometimes react to suggestions, but not always in the way you want :)

Third, in traditional adventures you have an inventory. This involves stealing everything that is not nailed down, carrying unfeasibly large objects in a tiny bag, and conveniently losing objects that would make some later puzzle too easy to solve. None of these things make sense in a serious adventure, and that is why most adventure games are either comedies, or seriously limit your movement.

Fourth, traditional adventures are undemined by their own complexity. In theory you have a character who can control others and interact with any objects and talk to peopleabout anything. But this would lead to infinite possibilities, and make the game impossibly complex to code. So adventure games inevitably limit what you can do, which leads to frustrating and unrealistic gameplay. You know that in real life you would do X or Y, but in the game you are not given that option. It is frustrating, and destroys the illusion of being immersed in the story.

(There is a related problem in less narrative-driven games. In 3D games you cannot always do simple things - like using your fingers on something, or even walking in a straight line if the control system is awkward. More flexible procedurally generated games have to sacrifice dialog and nuance since those things are very hard to automate.)

In the real world nobody expects to have inventories, or the ability to control people, or to speak to perfect strangers without consequences. So these things are not missed. But in a game you DO expect to get an interesting story, feedom to interact, and the feeling that you control events. Basically I have tried to strip the gameplay down to what matters and give more of that.

[dma]

I get a good "The Last Express" kind of feeling when I look at your game. (Here's a Gamasutra interview with its creator, Jordan Mechner (http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20041224/rouse_01.shtml).) I have this game sitting up on top of my bookcase, but it's been long forgotten up there. So now you've jolted my memory and given me an excuse to get it down and try it again.

If you've never played it, it's very different in how the adventure basically plays out in real-time. And like your graphic style, it also has a very unique design. Anyway, it's going to be a rainy weekend, so what better time to play. :D

Here are some more screenshots of the game. (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/last-express/screenshots)


.

[electronicStar]

That's very nice, you're definitely on to something.
It reminded me of something that could have been produced by the Walt Disney studios in the 60s.
This early demo could also help you attract attention of investors if that's what you're looking for, I can see that game touching a more mainstream audience. Good luck.

[chanon]

Absolutely amazing stuff!!

I love the idea of how the gameplay works. The amount of thought that you put into this project really shows and the whole thing (including the teaser trailer) gives me the impression that this is really a work of art by a true artist. Something that would be a pleasure to play and explore.

You will most probably get lots of free press for it. As one poster previously said lots of critical acclaim. But maybe financial reward too!

[Spore Man]

Very nice! My only criticism would be the pixel drawings. Would have been better if it looked like smooth pencil lines.....

But still... very nice style

[OremLK]

The gameplay sounds really interesting. I'm looking forward to trying it out!

[Christian]

Its great to see so much progress, i think the result is very nice, in animation, in backgrounds, in minimalist style, in design decitions, congratulations for that, im sure even more people will agree the same, awesome work!.

[HDL]

Wow. Looks lovely. The artistic style is just so different from all the other games out there, in a good way. Sounds like it'll be an amazing game too. I'm really looking forward to this game now.

[Jesse Hopkins]

Is it realistic to make a story driven game with an ultra-minimalist art style? Something like the stye used in the Good New Bible? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/3501430.stm

For reasons that I won't bore you with, I'm considering replacing all my game art with this style. I can see a number of major advantages for my game in particular:

It seems like people bought the art for its religious meaning, paired with the simplicity implicit in the teachings of Jesus. I doubt if the man drew cats, it would be very popular a style.

[tolworthy]

Thanks for the kind words! The game still needs a lot of work yet, but hopefully it's going in the right direction. Several people on other forums have suggested comparisons with The Longest Journey. I hadn't realized the parallels before now. very interesting... Thanks...

Very nice! My only criticism would be the pixel drawings. Would have been better if it looked like smooth pencil lines.....

Part of that is because of the video compression for YouTube. However, some of the secondary characters are scaled without smoothing. It's a bug in Adventure Game Studio 2.72 - smooth scaled sprites have a dark fringe which looks horrible on a white background, so I turned off smooth scaling. (I use 2.72 because it's otherwise heavily tested, and should work on Linux as well as Windows) I hope to work around the scaling issue in the final version, by arranging scenes so that the main events happen at 100% scale, or by blurring some edges (as with the tiny background people) or by distracting the user so they're not paying too much attention to any pixelated scaling. There is still plenty of work to be done.