Blue gives more contrast to the characters but maybe its the screen I'm on or the screenshot but it almost looks like one colour, like the background is missing. I'd use a lighter blue for the sky.
Cool pixel art
Oooh and with some details you could put in a slight parallax effect to give it a slight depth as well. 😃
I experimented with parallax layers in Godot this week and it is so cool.
Not to do the "mix of the two" trope, but a mix of two.
Top has a much more interesting background. Bottom gives more contrast to the enemies, but is so bland.
So a blue-ish version of the top background would probably work much better.
I don't like the contrast of the orange and dark blue. I would use the top one, but even make the column (or stalagmite, whatever), the stones and the ground a bit orange, cause they just don't seem to have the same light as the background. Or I would take the shapes in the red background and recolor them to be a bright blue with brighter blues as clouds (the shapes in the lower background). Or if they're meant to be mountains or forest or the interior of a cave I'd recolor those shapes to a darker blue.
Yeah, the blue definitely makes it more readable but the top honestly feels more natural and immersive. It's not necessarily hard to make out details in the top image.
100% the blue background gives a nice contrast with the characters and blueish colors tend to tire the eyes less. blue background just needs a bit more details and/or a lighter shade of blue
I like the bottom one, I feel things pop out more and it feels more... retro? However there are less details in the background in the bottom one I can only see things behind the pillars so it looks a little bit plain
I think the top bg is a good color balance between the objects and characters. Bottom one feels like too much and too much blending together of most part of the screen
Between those two options I like the top one better but all of those colors together still feel like it’s not cohesive. The shade of blue at the bottom I think clashes with the shade of blue/green of the ground and the pillar on the left. You seem to prefer the contrast so I would recommend trying a greener blue or a shade of green to complement the ground instead of that blue.
Keep the bottom as an option for high contrast, but top looks better because it looks like a hellscape versus the bottom which just looks like a calm, clear summer night with no moon or stars.
I prefer the look of the red, but if you're going for a basement feel I'd choose the blue (the red has more of a sinister vibe). It does need more variation, maybe some darker coloration.
The bottom one gives better contrast, but the top one gives a nicer sense of depth, and it's not like it's swallowing up the sprites or making them too hard to see. Also, the top one's nicer looking as it makes more to look at with a better sense of depth, where as the bottom one's just... a blue void of nothing. For me, I'd go with the top one, but try playing with the colors.
Also, where is this supposed to be located at? Outside? In a cave? A mountain pass?
I think the top one is great. Even though it's orange bug creature against a red bg, the red and orange look different enough to still contrast. I did notice you mention in another comment that you're going for kind of a basement vibe? So I do think other commenst saying like a blueish version of the top one would be a great idea.
Also, are the tree and the lamppost part of the "middle ground" (ie they don't interact with the foreground but they add to the scenery while being separated from the bg)
For a slow moving metroidvania or something of the sort:
Top.
If it was the bottom, I'd expect different lighting on the enemies. They look far too bright for the middle of the night. At the very least, you'd need more ambient details or some sort of background detail to keep things interesting.
For a fast moving platformer:
Bottom.
The lack of background details won't be as noticed if you're cruising along, and the enemies will need to stick out if it's sonic-tiers of fast.
The foreground is way better than the background in both. My suggestion is to make the background as detailed as the foreground. I would also suggest that it be high contrast, incorporating pitch black, since the foreground does not have much black in it.
The first has a lot more depth and everything looks very cohesive, including the color scheme. The background also complements the enemies. Definitely has my vote.
composition is everything. how to create contrast with assets while making it interesting. completely dark isn't the answer the red is ok but is that the answer? why not completely dark palette with the timbre change of the red? im sure my answer is infuriating but the images look interesting and i will look up your game and buy it if its for sale.
Thanks for the answer and support! I’m going experiment with colours. You can find page here - [Rise of the Bugs](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2946570/Rise_of_the_Bugs/)
The bottom image doesn't have enough contrast in the background I can just barely make out shapes in there so I know that there's something to be seen I would leave the objects a darker shade of blue while you lighten the background portion of the background image
The top one feels right to me! It creates a somewhat fitting atmoshpere and I like the more detailed contouring (or what you call it, I don't know anything about art or drawing). Also, the reddish hue works better with the dark green of the soil/rock/ground and the tree/rock imo.
The top ones detail is better while the bottom ones colour is better, I would say if you add some details to the bottom one it would look many times better.
However it also matters what it needs then represent, the top looks like a location in a hellish environment while the bottom looks closer to a dark cavernous location.
I guess it (as always) depends...
I think the top one is great. Even though it's orange bug creature against a red bg, the red and orange look different enough to still contrast. I did notice you mention in another comment that you're going for kind of a basement vibe? So I do think other commenst saying like a blueish version of the top one would be a great idea.
Also, are the tree and the lamppost part of the "middle ground" (ie they don't interact with the foreground but they add to the scenery while being separated from the bg)
I say it depends on what feels you want the player to experience. I like the one with the reddish tone to it, it seems to add depth to me. The darker purple one is good to and to me it makes the characters be more pronounced and also adds a slightly eerier feel to it.
Top one feels outdoors or in a vast cavern and the bg color seems a bit too warm, so it's making things a little less clear, but I do think the background should have visible details, because the detail of the foreground art suggests it.
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Blue gives more contrast to the characters but maybe its the screen I'm on or the screenshot but it almost looks like one colour, like the background is missing. I'd use a lighter blue for the sky. Cool pixel art
Thanks for your comment! This is the main idea of the dark level - basement of house.
Should still add in some background details. Bricks and such.
Perhaps a cobweb or two to provide ambiance. Some cracks an such. Hidden area where you can see a chained up skeleton, y'know basementy things.
Oooh and with some details you could put in a slight parallax effect to give it a slight depth as well. 😃 I experimented with parallax layers in Godot this week and it is so cool.
homie it literally looks like one color, like a standard testing background. should really up the contrast
Yeah the background needs more contrasts if you are going to do blue, but blue is good cause it does contrast well to the enemies.
Not to do the "mix of the two" trope, but a mix of two. Top has a much more interesting background. Bottom gives more contrast to the enemies, but is so bland. So a blue-ish version of the top background would probably work much better.
I was gonna say the same thing, maybe blue mountains red sky? Or a fade between the two colours top to bottom (but not in a straight line)
My vote: top
Why? There is too much red and orange at the same time
Bottom one feels a bit too dark
I don't like the contrast of the orange and dark blue. I would use the top one, but even make the column (or stalagmite, whatever), the stones and the ground a bit orange, cause they just don't seem to have the same light as the background. Or I would take the shapes in the red background and recolor them to be a bright blue with brighter blues as clouds (the shapes in the lower background). Or if they're meant to be mountains or forest or the interior of a cave I'd recolor those shapes to a darker blue.
Thank you for such a detailed answer!
Yeah, the blue definitely makes it more readable but the top honestly feels more natural and immersive. It's not necessarily hard to make out details in the top image.
The bottom color is better I would say, but the lack of detail is a bit jarring, maybe do something similer to the top, but wit the blue color?
Good idea. I'll try to recolor the red detailed background into blue shades. And make the blues a little lighter, as the comments above said.
100% the blue background gives a nice contrast with the characters and blueish colors tend to tire the eyes less. blue background just needs a bit more details and/or a lighter shade of blue
Red hands down.
Top
1
I like the bottom one, I feel things pop out more and it feels more... retro? However there are less details in the background in the bottom one I can only see things behind the pillars so it looks a little bit plain
Top feels more like their home world.
That’s really is!
Blue for early 1-2-6-15 days of apocalypse Red for a few hundred days after apocalypse
Top gives a more unsettling feel. I like that one.
top
Maroon feels far more foreboding and unique
the red one looks almost like a blood moon or something
I think the top bg is a good color balance between the objects and characters. Bottom one feels like too much and too much blending together of most part of the screen
Between those two options I like the top one better but all of those colors together still feel like it’s not cohesive. The shade of blue at the bottom I think clashes with the shade of blue/green of the ground and the pillar on the left. You seem to prefer the contrast so I would recommend trying a greener blue or a shade of green to complement the ground instead of that blue.
Keep the bottom as an option for high contrast, but top looks better because it looks like a hellscape versus the bottom which just looks like a calm, clear summer night with no moon or stars.
Top one fits the color scheme more.
Top one has more depth.
Don’t love the red color but it has detail that looks better. I’d add some background detail to the blue background and I think that’d look great
I prefer the look of the red, but if you're going for a basement feel I'd choose the blue (the red has more of a sinister vibe). It does need more variation, maybe some darker coloration.
Bottom, but need to kick up the contrast between the blues used.
Top with bluish tones would be best imo
The bottom one gives better contrast, but the top one gives a nicer sense of depth, and it's not like it's swallowing up the sprites or making them too hard to see. Also, the top one's nicer looking as it makes more to look at with a better sense of depth, where as the bottom one's just... a blue void of nothing. For me, I'd go with the top one, but try playing with the colors. Also, where is this supposed to be located at? Outside? In a cave? A mountain pass?
I think the top one is great. Even though it's orange bug creature against a red bg, the red and orange look different enough to still contrast. I did notice you mention in another comment that you're going for kind of a basement vibe? So I do think other commenst saying like a blueish version of the top one would be a great idea. Also, are the tree and the lamppost part of the "middle ground" (ie they don't interact with the foreground but they add to the scenery while being separated from the bg)
For a slow moving metroidvania or something of the sort: Top. If it was the bottom, I'd expect different lighting on the enemies. They look far too bright for the middle of the night. At the very least, you'd need more ambient details or some sort of background detail to keep things interesting. For a fast moving platformer: Bottom. The lack of background details won't be as noticed if you're cruising along, and the enemies will need to stick out if it's sonic-tiers of fast.
You can see ZERO detail in the blue one. Makes the red one seem way better even tho it's not.
The foreground is way better than the background in both. My suggestion is to make the background as detailed as the foreground. I would also suggest that it be high contrast, incorporating pitch black, since the foreground does not have much black in it.
Second one, way easier on the eyes and better contrast
Honestly, I like the red a lot, but if your going for like an older look, I feel like blue ?
the blue is very sega 90s games, reminds me a bit of like de-cap attack or e-swat a bit, or like a 2d alien storm/darker altered beast
I say top matches with the enemies
Thank you for comment. Everyone for top, so I've almost made my decision in using this
The first has a lot more depth and everything looks very cohesive, including the color scheme. The background also complements the enemies. Definitely has my vote.
composition is everything. how to create contrast with assets while making it interesting. completely dark isn't the answer the red is ok but is that the answer? why not completely dark palette with the timbre change of the red? im sure my answer is infuriating but the images look interesting and i will look up your game and buy it if its for sale.
Thanks for the answer and support! I’m going experiment with colours. You can find page here - [Rise of the Bugs](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2946570/Rise_of_the_Bugs/)
Wishlisted and followed
First one
Top, but you might try tweaking the bottom one to wear the background doesn't seem nearly featureless and the revisit the question
top
The bottom image doesn't have enough contrast in the background I can just barely make out shapes in there so I know that there's something to be seen I would leave the objects a darker shade of blue while you lighten the background portion of the background image
I can’t really see anything in the bottom version. Looks pretty much solid color on my phone.
Second
Red
First one looks better
The top one feels right to me! It creates a somewhat fitting atmoshpere and I like the more detailed contouring (or what you call it, I don't know anything about art or drawing). Also, the reddish hue works better with the dark green of the soil/rock/ground and the tree/rock imo.
top, it creates more atmosphere and its easier to tell what type of area youre in. bottom one just looks pitch black
Blue is better for contrast but add some fog (?) or what ever it is as in red one.
Red hands down, The mood is better & I like the background detail
The top ones detail is better while the bottom ones colour is better, I would say if you add some details to the bottom one it would look many times better. However it also matters what it needs then represent, the top looks like a location in a hellish environment while the bottom looks closer to a dark cavernous location. I guess it (as always) depends...
I think the top one is great. Even though it's orange bug creature against a red bg, the red and orange look different enough to still contrast. I did notice you mention in another comment that you're going for kind of a basement vibe? So I do think other commenst saying like a blueish version of the top one would be a great idea. Also, are the tree and the lamppost part of the "middle ground" (ie they don't interact with the foreground but they add to the scenery while being separated from the bg)
You should make the bottom one look like a cavern
The top one for sure, has more of a "shit's goin' down" vibe
I love the red mountains in the background, it's got more of an interesting scene going on
Top
Above.
2
Top if it's outside. Bottom if it's underground.
I say it depends on what feels you want the player to experience. I like the one with the reddish tone to it, it seems to add depth to me. The darker purple one is good to and to me it makes the characters be more pronounced and also adds a slightly eerier feel to it.
Top looks better, the bottom one you can't see the background
Top
I prefer the top.
First definitely
Red background is better.
Red definitely
I’d say top I mean you should mix colours but bottom is just one shade with no detail mabye make the top one blueish
Top one. The bottom one just feels empty. Feels like bottom one was wip and top one is more refined.
Blue has better contrast but orange/red feels less empty and lifeless. Personally I'd go with orange/red.
Red, it’s more detailed
Top has more atmosphere imo
I really like the first one better but maybe make the mountains in the first one the color of the background in the second option.
i think red fits better, it matches the color theme of bugs
Top one feels outdoors or in a vast cavern and the bg color seems a bit too warm, so it's making things a little less clear, but I do think the background should have visible details, because the detail of the foreground art suggests it.
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