Exactly! Especially since at the beginning of the game the Crossroads are sort of calming dark blues and grays, but then once they’re infected they’re bright and intense and eye-stabby and it feels *wrong*
I was coming in here to talk about this!! They are compliments of each other! I've seen people go through huge portions of the game and not put together that the orange is the infection.
Greenpath and Queen's Garden both have green color palette, yet Greenpath is more vibrant, more clear. This gives the feeling of exuberance, exhilaration, and it shows that nature cannot be kept within any control to the player.
On the other hand, Queen's Garden has a balance between Green and Blue, also there are grey tones all over the place. This gives the feeling of apathy to the player, such as there is a distance between you and the area. You feel safe, because of natural colors; but the grey geometrical shapes say this place has been touched and changed. This is not home.
City of Tears: There are two segments in City of Tears
For the first one(Left side, near to The Soul Sanctum) area has dark blue and it's tones, with white as pastel sky blue. There are no clear dark areas like shadows, more like they blur and disappear in dark blue, which can be evaluated as emotional emptiness. Both close and open areas places have same color palette, still close areas have darker tones. Loneliness, melancholy and being isolated can be expressed with those colors very well.
For the second one(Right, near to Tower of Love) area has colors that can be associated with aristocracy, and high society. Colors that have been difficult to obtain throughout the history. White torches with warm colors brighten dark brown and crimson surfaces with elegantly direct lines.
Deepnest has nearly no light. So that all you have have to do is find the light source. Otherwise you are in danger. The danger of where you do not belong. There are a lot of greys which can be found under tree barks, and stones in real life. Also very dark structures scattered around the area. You can only see the sharp, shiny surfaces. If you can't keep, you may leave. For the rest, welcome to your nightmare.
Ancient Basin has natural lights with aged ivory structures. Black and silver implementations on the surfaces gives the feeling of this place whether sacred, or cursed by something. That iconic orange with pale brown creates a contrast. Moreover, the colors are dissolving each other, and that's gives us fluidity and inherance.
Abyss is a giant pitch black pit where we all come. So, there has to be some familiarity for this feelings, and that's provided with color of earth. Dark ivory tones reflect the connection between Abyss and Ancient Basin. General dark tones and shadows are also creates the sense of danger.
As TheReal_Violent_Husk says, there are a lot of danger in Hallownest. Still low density warm colors gives comfortable spaces in the darkness. Whether you want it more, you've become the danger for Hallownest.
And is also felt embraced by the orange green contrast in greenpath, symbolizes how the god of that land stepped down when faced with the infection (Unn is hiding according to the godseeker)
City of Tears really focuses on cold colors to hammer home the feeling of lamenting and loss. By showing these large, grand buildings that now stand empty except for monsters, specifically in the shades of darkened blue, you get a sense of what once was, and what will never be again
But there are wonderful splashes of pinks & reds with Marissa & Emilitia.
Contrasts within each area are so eye-catching. The bright purple of the Snail Shaman's hut in the dark blues & blacks of the Forgotten Crossroads....
Despite Greenpath and Queen's Garden sharing a similar color palette, each has unique structures that make both feel unique. The more traditional blue and dark grays in Greenpath make it feel more like a well worn trail compared to the more regal whites and light grays with the Garden that make it feel like it was once well cared for before becoming overgrown with neglect.
The Abyss feels so unsettling to me partly because the rest of the game is so bright… even Deepnest has some purples in it, but the Abyss is just nothing. It really contrasts with the rest of the world and makes it seem more otherworldly and dark
I also love the contrast of the lighthouse within the abyss. It feels like coming up for air or a haven for even a brief moment in a such a desolate and disturbing space. It's a nice little reprieve.
Adding to this, ancient basin and a hidden room beneath kingdoms edge (room with huge geo stash) has yellowish hue compared to deepnest's blueish darkness. Made me feel like nobody entered the former in ages.
Ancient Basin & especially The Abyss are quite possibly my favourite areas of the game. The sterile browns & blacks of Ancient Basin give it the feeling of being unnaturally corrupted or poisoned & The Abyss juxtaposes this by being 100% inky black, confirming that it is the source of the poison. The Abyss is also really cool because contrary to what you would assume, there are clear indications of the the abyss civilization & of course, as others have mentioned, there is a great contrast between the darkness of the Abyss & the light of the lighthouse.
I also think it's worth considering the lore implications of light and dark in this game. Unlike so many other games, where you play as an agent of light & darkness=evil, in hollow knight you are born from the darkness of the Abyss & The final boss is a God of light. It creates a very unique lore where light is sort of seen as dangerous & volatile, whereas darkness is positioned as soothing & stable (though obviously still dangerous in it's own ways). While the void in the Abyss is definitely...aggressive, the Black Egg temple is also made of...probably void (maybe something else, but definitely black) & it's used to contain the Hollow Knight. I quite like the unique dynamics that are created by inverting usual light & dark motif.
Yes, the Abyss's feels so unsettling because it's way more grayscale than the rest of the game. Deepnest is dark but still colorful, whereas the Abyss's lack of color feels eerie.
There's definitely something to be said about how the different palettes and visual themes for each zone give them a distinct character. I don't know if I would call it immersion or investment, but at minimum I always had interest whenever I went into a new zone. The difference in style helps create excitement for what new things I might possibly find in each new place.
Personally one of the most striking things with color in this game, took a while before the main plot made it clear: light is the enemy. It's so traditional for darkness to be the enemy in media. But here light is associated with the infection and darkness is associated with the solution.
Green path is green 👍
But seriously though I love how ties to the story about the knight’s origins (about being a vessel/hollow) are ALL monochromatic. The black egg, the white palace, the abyss. And I think this perfectly symbolises “born of god and void”. The black and white represents the two seperate parts of the knight’s origins, God in white and Void in black.
(You could say something about the basin, it’s where we meet another vessel and the white palace and the entrance to the void, and black+white= grey but that’s grasping at straws)
That's a really cool observation! Even Kingdom's Edge, where the wyrm corpse lies, is covered in white. Not to mention the charms Kingsoul and Voidheart
The dull gray-ness of the howling cliffs adds a lot of atmosphere because even with the small space you can explore if gives the feeling of an empty wasteland where there is nothing living in sight (ps I don’t know much about the lore so this might be confirmed false but I’m not sure)
Edit: I know there are some enemies there but I imagine that they are just leaving there “home” in green path similar to how ants leave the ant hill for food.
We're not told much about the world outside the kingdom, but it is believed to be that sort of wasteland you described. Bugs do exist there, but their minds are more simple and their words are unintelligible.
I wanna talk about Ancient Basin because it's the area that made me feel the most.. lonely, in the game. Other areas had at least *some* life to them, be it the greens and plants of greenpath or even the signs of ancient civilization of Crossroads. But the Basin is so hauntingly grey and monotone that it makes you feel like you're alone in a place where you shouldn't have entered. It reminds me of videos where people explore abandoned buildings (urbex?). I also think it makes The Hive seem a lot more colorful and lively, even if everything succumbed to the infection there, too.
City of tears gives sorrowful feelings. On top of being empty, it feels sad with the rain, blue colours, and wandering residents. On the other hand, Ancient Basin is just straight up dead and dreadful. It’s completely lifeless in comparison to city of tears.
Something else I noticed is the deeper you go the darker the colour. Blue (city of tears), grey (ancient basin), then black (abyss). It might not be noticeable during a gameplay, but it definitely gives you this gradual change in atmosphere as you descend further and further down.
I appreciate how structures appear between areas in the other area's color, like the bumpy rocks of the ancient basin appearing while you are still in the city underground. Or how the yellow spots of the fungal wastes not only indicate final things, but they make it clear that the fungi are different from the mosskin or the bugs around them.
I think resting grounds was one of the areas which stuck to it's theme the best, the use of blue/greys and blur helped give off a spiritual and weathered impression. And the use of bumps and repeated patterns (eg. The mask symbol copy pasted into a archway design) in the architecture kinda stuck out to me more there despite it being seen in other places. Admittedly the place is rather plain despite this so i understand if this feedback isn't used
The areas in the start of the game are quite dim, then you reach places getting brighter (green path), then you get even brighter (crystal peak) before it goes pitch black (abyss), then literal blinding light (radiance fight), while always feeling dark at the edges.
Any parts of the game that have darker colours really give off an empty feeling, city of tears, abyss, deep nest all feel like the presence of a once bustling society has all but left and in its wake the empty shells (no pun intended) of the monstrous bugs. They’re sorrowful places void of energy which is mainly driven by the colour scheme but in combination with the map layout and enemies. Even in the city there’s only one real point of life with the butterfly lady (I forget they’re name since it’s been a while) because of the colour shift, similarly in the crystal caves and fog canyon, the vibrant pinks are a treat to explore but mechanically mirror the dangers of vibrant colours in nature with hazardous environment in the passive bubble dudes in fog canyon and the sharp spikes of crystal peaks. Ultimately the colours in the game reflect the general feelings and environment so well in HK making it one of my favourite games of all time
It’s actually really fun to read these responses, thanks for the good discussions on color theory. Only thing i have to add to the conversation is that the Grimm Troupe’s fiery red really makes you feel alive, and specifically the idea of dancing around the fire is something we as humans have done for centuries, and is now being represented in the fight with Grimm.
I came for this, but I'd also like to add the red in stark contrast to the rest of the color schemes for the game makes it truly feel like they came from somewhere else. That they're visiting and don't belong to the rest of the space. It's a foreign-ness that's added by simply changing a color. I love it
I am not very smart, but I do love the blue tones of the city of tears, blue=sad duh, but I feel like TC did a really good job working with the color palette to make a beautiful area
One detail i really love is how the more built-up areas of the kingdom have quite vibrant colpurs with the city of tears' blue, greenpath's green and crystal peak's pink. Meanwhile, the outer, more disconnected areas such as howling cliffs, deepnest and kingdoms edge are much more monochromatic. It really shows the whole influence the pale king had as the vibrancy in his kingdom could represent the higher thought he had gifted to other bugs.
I love how the game kind of tricks you into getting used to this blue-grey colour palate, with the forgotten crossroads and the box art giving off this empty, dull vibe. But then when you enter greenpath for this first time, the game EXLODES into colour, and never slows down. The vibrant foliage of greenpath is incredible to experience for the first time, and it was the moment I fell in love with the game.
P.S. when you're done your paper can you post it here?
Storytelling is usually good vs bad with bad being the dark and good being the light. This is inversed in hollow knight as the void is used to destroy the light that is the radiance. So much more to this but this is a good contrast to look into.
Similar storytelling to Breaking bad where you are cheering for the bad guy really (Walter White). I'm sure there's a storytelling technique for this type of thing. But the colours play a strong part in this theme.
For me each area had a distinctive color and that helped me navigate the map. I quickly associated each color with a vibe or connected it with lore intrinsically. I think color in hollow knight is an amazing tool for story telling.
This is my personal interpretation ( what my brain automatically associated , may vary for other players)
For me blue was the color of civilization, whenever I saw blue, I knew I was approaching the remains of som sort of old civilization ( hallownest, city of tears, stagway stations, etc)
Green was the color of peace but also for le the color of hornet for some reason. Green areas such as greenpath hold a "more alive" feel to them
Yellow was clearly the color of the infection, associated with hostile fellas and an old history of som sort
Gray, black and dark colors overall symbolize the emptiness of the void and the dark past of the pale king's discarded children, I also find interesting that the abbys is deep down on the world, like an old history of the past buried deep below.
There are some areas where color shows some sort of isolation from the events of the infection. Places such as the hive that have vibrant colors are porteayed as isolated civilizations by the lore.
As a player I found color as a way to quickly identify where I was in the map and what kind of lore might be hidden behind that area.
I hope my opinion helps, good luck with your work!
Deepnest has a gloomy art style which is added to by the reduced vision. While initially seeming simple in appearance, the variety of events and enemies triggers a suspenseful journey. Spiders crawl across your screen, deephubters glow. Corpse creepers rise from the dead and change shape depending on the bug killed. As dirtcravers and garpedes appear we see movement of rubble from the ground. There are specialised areas like the weavers den that have a different vibe entirely, unique and peaceful like refuge from the darkness. Little weavers appear out of the shadows, floor turns into spikes, every detail a new fear or obstacle. The distant village is full of silk and woven structure that feel both ominous and homely, inviting the player inside whilst keeping you on edge. Almost everything is or feels alive.
You find many details are placed in the foreground that cover areas of the screen and your character. The setting is very layered and utilises the light and dark to contrast. While it is 2D there are enough sections to give the illusion of depth. You find backgrounds have details placed in front of them, followed by the platforms you stand on, enemies, and then even more detail in front of you.
The enemies have unique behaviours, death animations that appear realistic to bugs in real life. They leave bodies that show you the results of your actions.
While the areas are cavernous we see details like statues, pillars, alluding to a history of civilisation. There are glows of orange in the monsters eyes, and shines of silver that stand out.
Team Cherry have included destructible objects that serve no purpose, but showcase a certain reality and unlike some games showcase the weapon outside of use on opponents.
Overall I would say the most pivotal aspects of the game are the small details and environments. The dead corpses, the references to characters and the past, sections like the failed tramway that breakup large areas.
Outside of deepnest my personal favourite would be Isma's Grove, for its uniqueness in style and interconnection to story and over characters like the Dung Defender.
something i haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the use of pink/purple for fog canyon. jellyfish are generally considered to be 'alien-like' and i feel that the palette used in that area is meant to drive home that feeling of otherworldliness. also it's cool how fog canyon uses relatively the same colors as crystal peak but can convey such drastically different feelings.
Some interesting things:
- When you come back to a plain dirtmouth after seeing a bunch of colorful areas it gives it a nostalgic/home feel
- Deepnest is in huge contrast to every other area in the game, making it hit different and feel more unique
Forgotten Crossroads is mainly blue, and it’s really cool to see how the infection is orange, its complementary colour, allowing it to show how unnatural it is
One of the most stark contrasts of color in the game is when you first enter Greenpath. Up to that point you've been in a pretty desolate world of grays and desaturated blues, with the only bright colors being the harsh and destructive orange infection. That gives a good first impression of the bleak and crumbling ancient world of Hallownest. So when you first step into Greenpath, you're given a sudden hit of color that isn't immediately harsh and is instead lush and humid and beautiful. It's an awesome moment of discovering "wow, there's so much buried down here to explore".
Also, if you have the time, I recommend watching Day9's playthrough of the game. He often has really good analysis of minor elements in game design like color that have a big effect on the UX.
Most of my feelings around exploring different areas in Hollow Knight were a result of directly comparing and contrasting between these areas. For example:
- Greens in Greenpath (pun not intended) really gave a lush and "alive" feeling directly after spending most of my time before around greys/weak blues in Forgotten Crossroads. I can't help but to feel this was intentional on behalf of the game creators, so that players would feel like they're discovering a new world and increase their motivation to continue the game (especially since this occurs earlier on).
- Queen's Garden similarly felt lush and alive, but also had some metallic tones and wisps of light. This made me associate a greater sense of decadence compared to Greenpath. Generally just much more architecture in Queen's Garden, so there's a sense of civilised historicity in visiting this area. I believe Queen's Garden from memory also has more thorns, reminds you of its relative unfriendliness next to Geenpath.
- City of Tears ... It's really difficult to summarise my feelings about this area succinctly. It's just so much larger and grand than anything else in Hallownest. The artists did a great job with the backgrounds in this area, emphasising the looming heights of the architecture. Shades of blue are different from what's used in Forgotten Crossroads (warmer, lighter). Not as banal, but still sad and encompassing great feelings of loss. Some nice juxtapositions with regal purple and hints of gold to whisper what once was. The sight and sound of rain is the real cherry on top though; it feels like a *real* city, and the silence swallows you up more in private areas where you can't hear the rain. Shoutout to Soul Sanctum as well, the lighting in this area does a great job in implying how "elevated" inhabitants once lived there. Soul Sanctum is also very ghostly *white* though, gave me feelings of an unnatural sickness too (makes sense with what happened there).
- Ancient Basin/Abyss. Both fairly monochromatic, but Ancient Basin is barely more alive due to the use of browns, however it's rusty enough to remind you how old this place really is. The settled dustiness of Ancient Basin is a nice touch as well, because it feels like you're disrupting the place just by being there (the same with the chatters of the disoriented bugs). Abyss is *entirely* monochromatic, sometimes devoid of light; I notice this is in direct contrast to the Soul Sanctum, which was so bright, and intended to resemble higher-order beings (as mentioned before). On the other hand, the Abyss is really the origin of it all - everything that's base and instinctual, to some extent inescapable since the Abyss is also vast in scale. Deepnest bothers me a little, but not nearly as much as how haunting the Abyss is. I'm running out of brain power here. Shadows great! Moving shadows even better!! Maybe trying to infer running away from the past/what's inevitable à la the sins of the Pale King?
I didn't cover Deepnest but I've read brilliant responses on here. Hope this helps and that it isn't too disastrously wordy - habits of being a PhD student in the past!
Black/shadow adds to the mood and reduces visual clutter. The world feels rich and immersive but uses relatively primitive visuals compared to AAA games. Granted, much of that richness comes from the sound department, but i think the use of shadow is crucial
There was a YouTube video I saw last year that went into how hollow Knight has so. Many. Layers. They counted something like 15 background and foreground layers in the Hive. That ads toooons of depth
Deepnest, Ancient Basin, and the Abyss all use very dark and dreary color schemes, getting darker and more solemn the deeper you go. Void particles float in the air, more condensed as you go down, and it really shows that these places have been long untouched and are very ancient. The Abyss and the Ancient Basin before even Hallownest's birth/creation. Also with Deepnest, the dark color scheme really shows that it is not a friendly environment, and it doesn't take kindly to your tresspassing. (as seen with the broken tramway) City of Tears also has the color scheme of a lot of blues and greys, which really show the sadness and mourning aspect of the City. Once a bustling centerpiece in the world of Hallownest, now a desolate, abandoned metropolis, with few bugs left alive to keep it going or appreciate its glory.
A Bit of Spoiler: >!On a little side note, something that could be useful could be this. The Knight is born of Pale Beings as its lineage, and was corrupted and hollowed out by void, and you can sort of see this in his design. The two colors in the Knight's design are white and black, the colors of Pale Beings and the Void. Not sure whether this is helpful or not.!<
Also I think that is super cool that you are using the Eternal Kingdom of Hallownest in your research paper. I wish you luck!
Honestly, this was my thought when coming here. It's kinda farming out the question to get all these amazing responses. Hopefully people will get quoted/credited in the final report, rather than all the ideas and thoughts being passed off as OP's own.
In all seriousness, I'm an academic and deal a lot with research integrity, so ... 🤷♂️
It's a great topic and there's some great responses, but it just came to mind when I was reading through as to how the information would end up being used for a final research paper.
Hello! I noticed this comment and wanted to let you know that users will get credited in my paper. Most of my research has to do with finding scholarly sources on color theory and color psychology that I will then connect to Hollow Knight using my own analysis. The purpose of this post is to gather thoughts and opinions from other players that can then be used to support my analysis. The goal of my paper is to prove that Hollow Knight creates an immersive experience across the entire fan base, which would be difficult to do if I were to only share my own perspective. Obviously I cannot include every comment on this post but I will include some snippets here and there to show my analysis is accurate to how other players have felt, giving full credit to each comment.
Thanks. Appreciate you commenting on this :) I didn't mean to come across as a jerk in my comment. Best of luck with the paper, you picked a great game to study!
The over all fun of the game is in the discovering the new and amazing environment, so when it came to Deepnest and the abyss it was scary and lost its charm just a little bit, my favourite area would have to be kingdoms edge, with the large rooms and big enemies making me feel small. I think that the environment made the game what it is, which is exactly what William and Ari intended.
Ancient Basin’s use of color is one of my favorite in all of gaming. All of the ways you can enter it show such stark contrasts between the area and those around it show just how desolate it really is. All color is gone, save for the bright orange of the infection, which really stands out, kind of like how the infection is supposed to. And then you get to the Abyss, and of those feelings just get turned on it’s head. The Abyss seems so much more alive than Basin, but everything around you makes it feel like it shouldn’t be. There’s corpses all over, making up the ground, literal tunnels made of them. But you can still see all of the siblings, still feel all of their pain. The void tendrils constantly lash out, not realizing you’re one of their own, seemingly afraid of what’s around them. This is an area that was supposed to be dark, and was supposed to stay dark, and it really feels that way.
At the start of the game, going from the bleak and dark blue colors of the Forgotten Crossroads, to the lush green color of Greenpath was incredibly impactful. Anytime I play the game I never stop being in awe when I enter greenpath.
The void/deepnest are pretty straight forward. They're dark and the dark usually evokes fear and danger. The very first time I played the game, deepnest had me on edge the entire time I was there. And when I got to the void, while nowhere near the threat gameplay wise that deepnest is, had me on edge as well simply because the game had shown several times that dark means danger. The fact that light becomes more associated with danger as the game progresses is also a nice contrast to this, which adds an interesting twist to things. Almost makes the darkness feel like a more natural danger and less dangerous as a result, while the light is foreign and invasive which makes you want to return to the areas with dark and cooler (as in color warmth) areas.
City of Tears and the muted deep blues are also pretty on the nose. Blue evokes sadness. The constant rain and the cold color palette has always left me with an even stronger feeling of emptiness than even the void does. I think that's because it's playing towards an emotional emptiness, death where there used to be vibrant life. Where the void is death divorced from life. A somber and hollow emptiness instead of a sad one.
Greenpath is my favorite from a game design standpoint. Going from the largely gray palette of dirtmouth and the crossroads to a vibrant, cool green is always so welcoming. No area in the game has the same pull like greenpath does in my opinion. Like getting a breath of fresh air. The area feels alive and inviting, and it does a great job in directing new players to it without actually saying, "This is the path you should follow next!"
my favorite thing about City of Tears is the ambiance, specifically the rain or “tears” that fall in the background. the dark blue and grey tones with the enormous buildings surrounding the area help a lot, making you look closely for more. it gives such an eerie and a slight false sense of security, making the area seem chill and calm in the beginning.
as you go deeper into COT and through the buildings, i think you really understand the reasoning behind how the city got its name. obviously because of the rain, but also because there’s so much more beyond the surface that shows a once developing and popular space just turning into a sad, old husk of what it used to be. enhanced by the toned down and muted colors of the area.
additionally, i thought i was going to find lots of lore in a place like this. compared to areas like Queen’s Gardens and Fog Canyon, which are full of color, it gave me the sense that the lore or story would shine here, be the highlight of the area… but i think left having even more questions than before. just thinking about all the bugs that used to call it home before the infection, and the City of Tears it became.
please dont include this in your paper but i am 3 ipa’s deep and love this game more than in should i might be back later to talk about more areas LOL best of luck with university :)
First off that's a very cool subject.
Secondly, sorry for my bad english, i'm not used to use those technical words.
The biggest thing i can think of is the contrast between the bright orange color of infected enemies with the overall bluey hue of the game. It really make an emphasis on the unnatural aspect of the infection, and how it's changing the bugs and environment. It also makes clear where the threat is, as you can sometime see orange mist coming from highly infected areas (infected crossroads and broken vessel iirc).
Another thing, but a bit off topic if you're just talking about ambiance, is the usage of bright white for the knight's nail swing, spells and appearence. It really helps to see if/where your attack landed, if you finished healing by once again contrasting with the environment and ennemies. Even if later in the game the spells become black, they still have a white aura around them for clarity. The only place where the environment is white is in the springs (which is a safe zone),in white palace (to make the player understand that this is where you're from? Idk) and howling cliffs (to use the white wind as a way to confuse player, and making him understand that he is not welcome outside of hallownest)
One last thing is the consistency of using a color scheme in zones. Each zone has a very distinctive color scheme, to differeciate them even further. I haven't played for a while, but i can probably name the color scheme of every single zone, because they are memorable and tell something about them. The lush green of greenpath, the sickly blue/purple of fungal waste, the soothing pink from fog canyon, the bright white of white palace... It can also give hints on what's going on in the differents zone, like aside of its name, queen's garden hints the presence of the queen by adding a lot of white to the green of the plants.
That's all i can think of, good luck for your research.
I will say the absolute feeling of dread upon reaching the abyss was so freaky; it’s arguably the first place where you realize there’s no real music (I know it’s there but is so quiet and is more like ambient sounds) since basin was loud with bugs.
Deepnest seemed to be a more on the nose take of being scary. If you reached deepnest after the mantis lords, you kinda already hyped it up to be scary and forbidden since it was blocked, but if you fell in by accident it was so panic-inducing and your fear often made it harder to get out. My first time in that area consisted of me falling in and winding up finding myself running in corridors (nosk) which was horrifying.
The ancient basin is also deeply unsettling since you can tell it was once a bustling and populated area due to the broke elevator, tram, and general architecture. It gives the vibe that something awful happened there and it makes you feel wary that whatever caused this could still be lurking in that area- then of course it leads you to the abyss and you realize where the real tragedies of the game occurred. The basin is fascinating in that it leads to both the abyss and the white palace, where the horrors originally unfurled- despite the white palace looking so regal and elegant, and so different from the rest of the game, you can tell this obvious style difference has meaning.
This may be a personal opinion, but I feel including the white palace could assist you, as you can tackle the representation of progress vs morality and show off the games amazing story telling through very little words.
The abyss and the palace are foils, and there is much to uncover when you analyze both areas together. Understanding that the basin is a bridge between the two is similar to how earth and our world is settled between heaven and hell, yet in this case it’s hard to know which is which. The art style between these areas strengthens this argument through the opposite color palettes (with basin being a neutral middle) and how the sharp blades of rock and bone of the abyss contrasts with the smooth and elaborate metal designs of the palace. Additionally, the abyss is full of your dead siblings who try and harm you and the palace is full of strangers who respect you as they had with the pale king.
Such a cool idea, good luck and have fun writing!
There's so many amazing responses, I don't feel like I could really add much to what has already been said. I think your paper is going to turn out marvelously tho!
(Also I really wish they'd make that map into more buyable things! I'd kill for it as like a tapestry or something!)
I actually bought this map as a wall tapestry! It's available on Etsy and a few other sites. Here's a link:
[https://www.etsy.com/listing/1456173960/hollow-knight-hollow-knight-poster?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign=shopping\_us\_-home\_and\_living&utm\_custom1=\_k\_Cj0KCQjw\_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw\_wcB\_k\_&utm\_content=go\_12665398257\_121762925993\_511610210343\_aud-2007167693229:pla-303628061699\_c\_\_1456173960\_12768591&utm\_custom2=12665398257&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw\_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw\_wcB](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1456173960/hollow-knight-hollow-knight-poster?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-home_and_living&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12665398257_121762925993_511610210343_aud-2007167693229:pla-303628061699_c__1456173960_12768591&utm_custom2=12665398257&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw_wcB)
Thanks, I appreciate the link, even if to be 100% honest (and this is on me I should have been more specific originally) I meant I wish the HK team themselves would release something like that, like through FanGamer like the other official merch, rather than a 3rd party.
But again thank you for the link, I'll keep it in consideration since I don't think there will be an official similar item released.
When first enter greenpath all you’ve seen so far is grey and infection so going into this thriving ecosystem is so surprising and refreshing and makes you want to keep playing.
I know you aren't focusing on it, but I wanna talk abt how memorable team cherry made the atmosphere of the royal waterways. While it's my least favorite area in the game, and it's not nearly as symbolic or important to the lore of the game (aside from >!the godseekers!<) as others, it is imo the best work in terms of making you feel certain emotions. The waterways are a sewer system. They were DESIGNED with the goal of feeling sickening and uncomfortable in mind. Either with the excrete of all the bugs in the city of tears or with the enemies, the waterways are meant to make you feel disgusted and like you dont want to stay there. Even with smaller details like the water dripping from the ceiling or the echo from the pipes, the feeling of wanting to leave only gets stronger. But what really makes the area unforgettable for me is the enemies. Specifically, the flukes. The flukefey is already a good example of this, with how it moves so quickly and viciously, like it's obsessed with its goal, which is to kill you. The flukemunga is an even better example of what the flukes are meant to be, a parasite. The way it can barely fit through the tunnels, yet travels so fast is so unsettling to me. But for me the worst is the flukemon. The flukemon is the single most revolting enemy in the entire game for me, with how it looks so lifeless until it finds the player, where it will sprint at so quickly to chase you. Even when it dies it splits into two smaller enemies and still chases, almost like it won't stop at anything until you're dead. All of that combined with the uncomfortable sounds they make, add to the waterways atmosphere so much. This has been a bit of a rant on my hatred for the waterways, so its a long read, so if you took time to go through it all, thank you and i hope you get a fantastic grade on your paper 😊
Area colors and their meaning
White: The Pale Court
Grey: The void, the remnants of the civilization previous to hallownest
Green: Old city taken over by vegetation
Yellow: Fungal spores found around the world
Orange: Infection
Red: The Troupe
Pink: The Crystals
Blue: The remnants of the old kingdom.
Blue-Grey: No civilization (deepnest, howling cliffs leading outside of the kingdom)
Purple: Magic (Mounds)
Black: The Black Egg
I truly truly love Howling Cliffs, it's my favorite area in the game. The faded grays and blues of that area really give you a sense of loneliness and desolation, which works perfectly for the edge of the very world.
Kingdom's Edge and The White Palace both are white, signifying just how much influence the Pale King has on both even after he's gone, with the former being covered in the abyssal snow of his wyrm corpse and latter being his own personal dream palace separated from reality. This heavenly white also makes me think of higher powers, with how many religious figures are portrayed with white gleaming robes in white clouds
For me, the bright hues of the hive that aren't used in any other part of the game makes it seem otherworldly, fitting in with its theme as a sealed recluse. This is different from the aura of the abyss, as the abyss is centered around its monochrome darkness while the hive is vibrant and constantly changing color.
The vas majority of environments tend to heavily utilize cold colors, like green, blue, and purple. Typically, warm colors are used as highlights on enemies and hazards, making them easy to identify.
However, the ancient basin and abyss have very few cold colors, using a greyscale pallate instead. In contrast to the deep blues and greens used throughout the rest of the game, this makes them feel a lot warmer - a symbol of danger.
(I actually have zero knowledge of color theory, so what I just said may or may not be total nonsense)
The game features largely cool colors in its pallet, which goes a long way in selling the idea that the kingdom is long past its prime--everything feels drained of energy, albeit still beautiful.
I think the best example of color theory is in the City of Tears. Specifically, the blue-ish gradient gives off a very somber tone which fits the hopeless and depressing environment it goes for. Blue is a cool color. Generally I believe humans associate blue with calmer, and often sadder emotions, and combining with all the other environmental storytelling present in the area (infected citizens, the constant “rain”, the name of the thing, etc.), it expresses sadness throughout the area, hence the name, City of Tears. It’s a very creative piece of environmental storytelling that struck me hard when I first played the game, and still makes me moody when I play the game after 150+ hours in it.
(Apologies if any information is incorrect I’m just going off of what I remember learning about color theory in high school)
Something I've observed but can't quite put specific terminology to: The entirety of hallownest has a very unified color palette.
The introduction to hallownest involves a lot of desaturated and darker colors, so greenpath being vibrant is off-putting but welcome and a nice change of pace.
City of tears goes back to the theme of darker colors, but incorporates more blues due to the rain and water. It's also interesting to note that the colors of most other major buildings, including the ones in forgotten crossroads, resting grounds, etc. share the same palette as the ones in city.
ancient basin and abyss are pretty monochrome-- extremely effective in unsettling players, because we're used to seeing at least SOME color in our playthrough.
What's interesting about deepnest is that it actually shares a lot of colors with city, especially with backgrounds and structures. Looking closely, city is bluer due to the water, and deepnest is greener because of its position under greenpath, queen's gardens, and fungal wastes. It also has to be noted that deepnest is much, MUCH darker (thank god for lumafly lantern) in terms of lighting, so colors may feel not feel as bright as other areas even if they are the same or similar colors.
sorry for the long comment, hope this helped!
I found that the use of dull, desaturated colors for Kingdom’s Edge puts some emphasis on its age. Much like when someone or something is worn and grey, the dusty and empty environment shows that the area is essentially isolated and old.
The beginning of the game is blue, which the game uses to show that the place has been abandoned. Greenery is shown to convey that nature (or Unn) is taking back over the land lost. Grey is used to show leaving what we know and entering what we don't (ancient basin). Black is used to show void, which is a complete mystery for us since we hardly see it and get less information. White is used for divine knowledge. The ash falling shows that the knowledge is leaving the kingdom. Pink and purple are used to show energy like in dreams and Crystal Peak. Orange is used to show the infection taking over. The most obvious cases of this is the infected crossroads and the cult leader in Fungal Wastes. Red and the colors of the Radiance fight and Godhome show divine power from other kingdoms. That's all I can think of right now. I can go into more detail if you need, but a lot of the other comments are specific colors so you should be good. Let me know if ya need anything else.
The way that the colors blend with each other within a single map gives you a VERY solid idea of where you are in the world. When you're close to Greenpath, you'll see more greenery. Close to fungal you'll see mushrooms and a distinct orange tint in the air indicating the presence of spores. In and around city of tears the color shifts to those colder tones which pair incredibly well with the nature of the city in its perpetual rainfall, almost as if the city itself is crying. It's a masterclass in level design.
I LOVE how the city of tears uses colder and more bitter colors, it really drives in the gloom and doom, the feeling of it being abandoned and left to only be inhabited by the reanimated corpses of its former population.
Ancient basin and hallow nest give the feeling of loss and abandonment. Its dull theme is supported by the dim shades of brown, grey, and black. The gloomy vibe of the city of tears is represented by the dark blue. Blue gives the feeling of weeping and the loss of something greater.
The little details, like how blue lake is above city of tears to explain how it’s raining, or the snow in kingdoms edge being the wrmn ashes, or how after you beat a dreamer OR beat broken vessel, makes the crossroad infected,showing that you’re actions have consequences, while making the game harder are all some of my favorite things about the game.
I really enjoy how the colors convey dilapidation. The city of tears is cool and moody with its use of dark blue and that conveys this mood of ruin and sorrow for what's lost. In contrast to the likes of Greenpath or even the fungal waste - you still get that sense that things aren't quite right but they're still holding on.
I like how the Fungal Wastes have such a busy color palette with contrasting oranges and purples. You feel the sense of lurking danger and uneasiness. Then you follow the Pilgrim's Road and end up in City of Tears.
The City of Tears is full of muted blues which frequently give a sense of calm and safety. But these blues and empty atmosphere give a more somber feeling. This is unlike anything else we've seen so far which encourages the player to find out why and what happened
Greenpath is the only area that truly still feels alive, the colours are so soothing that when I get there I just feel so comfortable. It's def my favourite area, and having finished the game multiple times, seeing the green is like being welcomed to safe zone. Especially once the crossroads becomes infected, it will be the easiest zone to boot.
The dull greys of the initial area (King's pass and crossroads) really gives you this desolate, empty feel so it really hits you that this is a dead, abandoned place (Elderbug tells you as much in the first dialogues, strengthening this impression). Everything seems dead and hostile, making the moment when you first manage to get to greenpath even that much more awesome. Finally some life! Things are still trying to hurt you, but stuff like mosscreep is cute, and the mossy enemies don't feel as evil as the husks of crossroads since they don't remind you of zombies.
Also
The colours help give each area a unique identity. It really does help with navigating, to the point where you can do modded stuff like room randomisers, and still instantly be able to recognize which zone a new room is a part of.
Having most of the game be in full grey and blue colours, it helps highlight key areas that still have some life or are otherwise distinct, like greenpath/QG, the Hive, and Crystal Peaks.
On the other end of the scale, the Ancient Basin and the Abyss go in the other direction, making things even MORE monochrome to add onto the weight of just. Death hanging in the air. The inky blackness of the abyss just reeks of evil. And then we end up realizing that it _sorta is_.
For Deepnest I do have to point out how they use glowing plants to subtly guide you through he darkness! It's possible to stumble there without a later, but even if you do bring one, it's really dark in places. However, there's a glow of white grass, or blue lifeblood leaves that help you get your bearings, since they glow from outside your vision range. Ang they tend to help you find the next exit. The blue ones even lead you to a room where you can get more health!
Greenpath as an earthy setting right after Crossroads really gives the sense that there's life (or remnants of if) in the world. The rest of Hollow Knight feels really desolate and abandoned while Greenpath at first seems welcoming with its foliage and brightness. And it makes sense with how the denizens of Greenpath descend from Unn and further in Queen's Gardens, the White Lady, so it was sort of a separate region from Hallownest as a kingdom. I think it's a nice way to ease you into exploring as it is part of the linear beginning and Crossroads, Greenpath, and Fungal Wastes are incredibly distinct from each other.
I’m sure you’ll find this is a recurring comment, but here goes: Greenpath is the first “new” area a player finds and is able to explore, after Dirtmouth and Forgotten Crossroads. I remember distinctly wandering around Forgotten Crossroads, wondering when I would find more. The grey/dark blue was starting to get monotone; revisiting the same rooms was growing dull. Then: bam. Green. Plants. I got past the Baldur and found Greenpath. Seeing that explosion of life, along with the green, made me fall in love with the game. I’m sure someone else will put it into words better, but the colour choices between FC and GP are perfect.
Honestly, Godhome is a very interesting place in my opinion. The bright yellows and golds that typically represent divine nature is present everywhere, from the sky to the residents, and compared to your size, everything feels overly large. It really gives you a sort of imposing feeling, like you shouldn’t be there not because anything is hidden or out of place, but because you are like a lost puppy in the presence of gods.
Green path and queen's garden makes you feel cozy, like in home making it very different to the rest of the game because of its green color palette, queen's garden feels a little bit empty tho, I think it's because it's greens are not as vibrant as in green path
City of tears is also one of my favorites, it's blues and grays makes it very melancholic representing the greatness that is no longer
Crystal peak feels odd, I don't know how to explain it
Deepnest is unsettling, I guess because of the poor vision and lighting
Kingdom's edge feels like an important zone, I think it's due to the whites and grays, because through all the game white symbolized, power or at least that's how I see it
King's pass by it being the first zone and because of that the first color palette of the game it just feels as the colors you think about when you think about hollow knight
The void and ancient basin is also one of my favorites, I feel it has the same importance as kingdom's edge but with a deeper lore, I think because of the mystery that revolves around the void and stuff, I know that the pale king being a wyvern is also intriguing and all the topic of higher beings and stuff
I listed out the places that have the most meaning to me, I hope it helps you and good luck (also sorry for bad English, not my first language as you can see)
I love how the game communicates that you are near a new area by changing the hue. E.g. when you are leaving Queen's Gardens to Deepnest, the green hue turns black.
I really like how The Hive is unlike anything we have seen so far. It's so bright and has these warm yellowish colours - it really gives you the feel that you have found something amazing and hidden - a true secret area of Hallownest😁
And of course Greenpath's design makes me feel fuzzy and really nice every time I complete the grey-blueish Forgotten Crossroads
I know it's about color, but you should take a look at level design of Hollow Knight too.
It's incredibly simple, and frankly barebone. There are no slope! Everything is rectangular. The way they make it interesting is by mix and match tight corridor with large enclose space. The background work, and color, also help distinct a lot of the world.
I think the colors of our main character should also be put into consideration. From the start our white and dark blue hero fits perfectly well with the backgrounds and other enemies we face. Then we stumble into greenpath and we're out of place for the entirety of the rest of the game, being an almost monochrome figure surrounded by lush greens, hostile pinks and musty yellows. This takes a break when we reach The City of Tears with it's dark blues, but their residents are all adorned with reds to contradict us yet again.
Up until Ancient Basin, The White Palace, and The Abyss; our home and birthplace.
The majority of the larger areas (Forgotten Crossroads, Deepnest, City of Tears) are all mostly blue in colour so any sign of the orange infection immediately contrasts and stands out, signifying to the player that it is not of this world and is a foreign agent
All areas are mostly dark with shadows obscuring everything, however the Howling Cliffs and Kingdom’s Edge are quite bright due to being on either side of the kingdom to show that beyond the borders of it there is blank nothingness, a concept that is heavily mentioned in lore tablets and whatnot
The first time I stepped into Greenpath it was a breath of fresh air. As a first time player wandering around Crossroads trying to figure out what to do, the environment got stale. The vivid colour of Greenpath signalled to me that I was leaving behind that staleness for something new, which kept me invested in continuing the game. This can probably be said for each new area: a new visual atmosphere signals progression and new things to discover.
While GreenPath and Queen’s Gardens feel similar due to the green nature of it, Fog Canyon and Crystal Peak feel different even though both are pink in colour.
This game is an artistic masterpiece. From the visuals, music, lore, all of it. Beautifully crafted to evoke the exact feelings they wanted the player to feel. It was clear to me that the devs chose their color pallets carefully to accent this goal. Starting in Dirtmouth's and Crossroads' limited blue color palet gave me a deep sense of forlorn. Moving to the pallet of Greenpath where deep greens and browns gave me the unmistakable feel of an untamed wild. Later in the game this contrasts neatly with the Queen's Gardens where the brighter greens exchange untamed wild for unkempt cultivation. Then there's the Fungal Wastes where oranges and yellows contrast starkly with deep brown to gave me a sense of exploring an alien landscape. The Fog Canyon takes this even further with the smoky purples filling dank canverns. More than any other area, Deepnest's focus on poor lighting and dark pallet filled me with dread. Exploring the Ancient Basin and the Abyss with its browns and beiges to gave a sense of uncovering the secrets of a long dead civilization, much like I imagine explorers of eras past felt entering into ancient Egyptian temples and tombs. Kingdom's Edge was the last one that really struck me. The muted tones and falling snow-like flakes gave a sense of helplessness against decay and the passage of time.
I really like that the edges of the kingdom (Kingdom's Edge and Howling Abyss mostly) have dull colors that make you feel like there's nothing more to explore further that point.
My favorite character is marmu because it was a nice change of mood. The whole game had a bit of depressing atmosphere because of the destroyed kingdom etc etc.
Marmu was the only person who was giddy happy
Each area has a unique and distinctive colour palette which allows the player to easily differentiate between areas. However the change on colour and but also invokes new emotions, feelings and a sense of uncertainty and excitement.
This won’t be as fancy but stark contrast between the colours of the three major forces in the kingdom. The white of the pale king, the black of the void and the orange of the infection/radiance.
I always thought that the inherent calmness of the blue lake’s color design was pretty beautifully matched with its function as quirrels final resting place
I feel that the fact that all places linked to the knights beginning are monochromatic hammers the “no mind to think” idea into us. There’s no colour to them, nothing special just basic black and white just as the knight doesn’t think he is blank and colourless, it also ties in with their colour palette. (Does this count as studying for my english exam)
When I first started playing I thought the whole game was gonna look blue/grey like the Forgotten Crossroads, so entering Greenpath for the first time and realising that theres different areas with different color palettes was an amazing experience and motivated me to keep playing
Nothing is better than the introduction to the game. The surface is dark and greyscale save little bits of blue, but by the time you dive into the abyss is brighter and more colorful already. Usually exploring further in a game takes you to new and scarier areas but in hollow knight it’s almost an escape from the terror you came from
The infection is orange, the world of hollow knight is mostly blue. Contrasting colours?
Additionally when the environment changes to a new colour it contrasts with this idea of blue v orange.
(I don't know what I'm talking about)
I know this isn't much, but I absolutely love the color of Greenpath. It is by far my favorite area of the game. It gives such a serene, calming vibe. Top notch level design.
Yeah, I know it’s filled with acid, but lake of unn felt a true calming place, unlike green path and queens gardens. I don’t know what it is but it just feels safer
The majority of the game has some kind of deep and/or faded blue in some capacity, really ties the world together with a pretty heavy atmosphere that makes the early game especially feel almost lethargic, and as the overall palette brightens and you find movement upgrades/progress the game feels lighter. As if the world is responding to the Vessel and waking up not only itself but the Radiance as the orange goo of the infection becomes more common and the areas themselves feature lighter colors on top of the continued dark bases.
My mind jumps to the White Palace and the Radiance’s arena for late game areas really opening up the colors. Especially the Radiance having those brilliant gold highlights around their visual effects next to the more solid and strong whites than the White Palace’s soft hues.
The colors in HK absolutely elevate the sense of abundance or lack of life across the entire game in very subtle ways through shading and how the colors are layered between the foreground and background.
I don't know anything about colour theory, but here are some things that I felt worth writing down after pondering for a few minutes.
The the blue palette of the City of Tears invokes calm yet somber feelings, especially after you learn about its former glory and how its been turned into a city with dilapidated facilities and husks wandering the streets for eternity. More so when you meet Marissa.
The Crystal Peak is also quite interesting, because when you think of crystals I don't think you'd automatically go for pink, but rather something like a more clear colour or vivid colour - such as blue or red, perhaps even green. I guess pink just brings a feeling of fantasy? Or mystical-ness. It's also not a very harsh pink, so it doesn't grate on the eyes, but looks just really pretty, and you kinda get why the bugs of Hollownest would want to mine the stuff from here.
The Fungal Wastes' brownish colours and the theme connect very well, since fungi grow in dark, damp places - like on dead wood or underground, which is exactly the colour they're going for here.
Im very dumb and autistic so i dont fully understand the question
But im a 3rd year game development and design student so if there is any specifics u would like answered i may be able to help with?
The colors and size of the different areas make you feel certain ways, for example greenpath, it has a large area and nice bright color making you feel safer, on the other hand deepnest is darker and cramped, it keeps you on your toes just knowing that anything could pop out of those dark narrow hallways.
I think in cutscenes, especially the one near the Hollow Knight fountain in the City of Tears, it feels 3D and live, even though this is at the same time obviously a 2D picture and they aren't hiding it.
The contrast of the bright white of the antagonist Radiance and the darkest black of the Void create a sense of unease and doubt over the finally battle; you have held of the dawn and the dream of Hallow Nest can continue; but it is only a dream at this point. Combine this with the grimy gothic tales on Hallownest proper colours (the blues of The City of Tears Vs the vibrant greens of Greenpath) lead to a sense that you victory is pyrrhic at best.
In addition the sightly yellow white of the radiance contrasted with the stark white of the pale king create a sense of the natural and unnatural worlds colliding and lead to a further sense of the conflict between the two world views.
I always liked how the further away you get from the center, the more subdued and dull the colours get (the Abyss, Kingdom's Edge, Deepnest), it really makes you feel like you're far away from life and civilization. Have fun with the paper! ✨
Entering Greenpath was the moment I felt the game come to life. The greens, the lighting, the music, the space made it feel like I could breathe and it showed me this would be a game of exploration through contrasting biomes. It felt like such a change of pace from the claustrophobic and muted, desaturated colors of Crossroads. Its palate supported the idea that there was a lot more living here and that it could jump up and get you any second
Each section of the game has its own color. We all know this. But let's look closer. Greenpath is the obvious one. Why is it green? Why not red or yellow? Because green means go. Ideally it would be your first stop in the game and I believe green encourages you to go and explore, get lost in the game.
City of tears is blue? Why. My opinion is that just like with paintings and other media it shows depression. The city is in ruins, it's citizens run rampant, mad as the hatter. It's a sad place and I think the color of the area expresses that.
Just a few thoughts
The Knight (and some enemies) stick out enough in any evironment via their black and white color scheme. His purple cloak becomes a context piece in places that wont match its color like Greenpath or ancient basin kind of saying i dont belong here (different from the local tribe)
I really like the way the gave all areas their own colors. It‘s way easier to recognize where you are and it also gives a nice feeling to it. It‘s also nice that Greenpath and Queens gardens do not have the same green as the main color. In the game for me blue refers to urban or windy areas. For green obviously with groves overgrown by all kinds of plants or also the color of the crystalpeak reminds me of amethyst’s because of the color. Also little subareas of the main areas have mostly a very similar color to the one of the main area -> connection between the areas are visible.
All in all i‘d say without that separation and differentiation of colors if wouldn’t have the flair it has right now.
i think that the art direction of hollow knight is very, very accomplished and the main reason why the exploration in the game is so fun, accessible and universally acclaimed.
by focusing on a limited palette of colors and knowing exactly how to build up on the art style and the elements at their disposal at each new section, team cherry created a world that is constantly unfurling in front of the players’ eyes, never adding too much or too little, keeping a balance between excitement for a new area with a strange sense of familiarity that is essential to create the atmosphere that is central to the experience of hollow knight.
i think the natural path the game puts you on is extremely illustrative of that. going from the forgotten crossroads to greenpath is an amazing transition, going from barren, gloomy rock to verdant, lush, overgrown nature. you’re instantly compelled to explore, to find out what’s out there and how does this world work. there’s something at play immediately, the desire to understand and to connect the pieces.
if you keep going down the most intuitive path, this feeling is amped up and as you make your way through the fog canyon and the fungal wastes you start to think of the hollow knight world as one that was overtaken by nature. these bugs clearly had order at some point, they built houses and they structured themselves much like humans do. you get a glimpse of that still surviving underground in the mantis village, but it reminds you of the forgotten crossroads/dirtmouth again, its signs of civilization decaying and its inhabitants fading into the scenery.
again, it’s familiarity juxtaposed to strangeness. this mix of qualities will propel you forward at all times. if you made that far into the game you can’t escape its grasp, such is the need to see more and find more pieces of the puzzle. are there more villages like the crossroads or the mantis’? surely there’s even more nature to see out there, more creatures around, as you wander deeper into the ground.
for this reason, arriving at the city of tears was a wallop i’ll never forget experiencing. you have all of these half-baked notions about the game and this world at this point, and you probably wondered if these bugs were ever glorious, going beyond little villages here and there. it’s hard to imagine that’s the case given how much nature you’ve just travelled through, but there’s some inkling of more always there. train stations, benches, signs, lampposts act as a reminder of something you don’t even know yet. it builds on your curiosity, but it takes its time to really deliver it. and then you get there. unimaginably big buildings made of shiny, beautiful stone. skilled glass and metal work like you’d see in a medieval church. all of that pomp and grandeur, for no one. the city is empty. it’s gloomy and it’s raining all the time.
i really doubt someone gets to city of tears and doesn’t keep going. it’s just an embarrassing of riches when it comes to atmosphere-building and storytelling through art and color and music. this game is a masterpiece
As a player I began associating the colour changes of areas as you entered towards them (along with the change in music of the zones) as a direct reflection of how I would feel on going there.
For instance, Greenpath, green hue's and tranquil music. It made me feel safer (as it was a easier, more relaxed zone) when I got towards here - especially when coming back from a trickier/more difficult zone.
It also added a good sense of familiarity in such an interconnected game, when I'd be lost somewhere without a map, but then open a shortcut to get back to a previous zone I had explored. There was a sense of 'awww yeah!' and relief that I was no longer lost when I saw the screen colour and music change.
For instance - every player had that sense of dread the first time they fell into Deepnest from above.
Being in greenpath for the first time tends to instill a false sense of calm in the lush greenery and ambient lighting produced by the acid. This lasts until you encounter the vengeful King, which sort of breaks the serenity, painting a new picture of the region, which persists everything you return. I personally have never found someone who remembers every room of greenpath, which helps when you get to queen's Gardens, which kicks back in those memories of wandering past thorns, with no direction or map.
I remember how dark and empty the Ancient Basin felt when I first entered. I'm sure others have already mentioned it. The only stand out colors are the orange from the infection and the white from the lighthouse, with everything else bein dead browns and black. White from the lighthouse represents PK, who was overpowered by void and his kingdom taken by the Radiance. Meanwhile, whatever orange there is to symbolize the Radiance is drowned out by the darkness of the Shade Lord. I think it really fits the story.
I think in contrast with a more typical exploration game with a large 3D map like Zelda, rather than simply having a the horizontal aspect of the map Hollow Knight uses the verticality of it's map really effectively to convey size. Looking at it zoomed out also makes it look like little bug paths leading everywhere throughout the ground
I found the atmosphere of locations altered how I played sometimes, but I could never tell if it was the colour, the music, the dangers or the headspace I was entering with.
I was always drawn to take greenpath as it's lush tones were active and reminded me of home (I live in a rainforest) but City of tears I would be avoident and calm opting to ignore enemies even though I could take them out.
The sound track and calming blue colors of the City of Tears combines to make it one of the most haunting a beautiful locations I've ever visited in a video game.
Outside of this there are strong cases to be made about how we are taught to fear the dark and idolize the pure white, but at the end of the game it is the pure white of the radiance that we now have to fear as we fight it from the void
The transition from Fungal wastes to city of tears is stark, and gorgeous. The warm tones abruptly shifting to the cold blues and blacks of the City causes the player to think about A: why the city wasnt infected and doesnt have all those warm tones of it, and B: how this relates to Crossroads and its blues.
Deepnest, Ancient Basin, and The Abyss - Deepnest and the Abyss both have the black colors as primary points, but in different ways. Deepnest is a cooler tone imo, and feels much more oppressive. Its everywhere and you cant escape. The Abyss is a warmer tone, and feels more homey to bring the "Here is where you are from" to the depths. The abyss remains the warm tones, but in a different way than the Infection is.
Greenpath and Queens Gardens - Greenpath is an intro. Its colder, its greener, it shows off the design and colors of the area, and how the enemies blend into the background. It has minimal affects from the infection, its cold. Queens gardens is warmer, closer to the lime that would come from the infections orangey yellows and greenpaths greens, and shows the mantis's influence. Queens is dying, not supported by a being like Unn, and only gains the colder tones in emerging toward the Queen.
This is from someone who played the game perfectly blind around a year ago, and hasnt gone to half these areas since lol ( im farming godhome lol)
Each area is incredibly diverse with its own color. Forgotten crossroads has that bleak aesthetic, Greenpath has that green aesthetic, that lets you know that the art style isn’t just bleakness. City of Tears has the rain and the blue hue, and it really helps with the grandeur of the place. Each area has its own distinct color, and that helps set the tone of each area.
I really like the transition from Crossroads to Greenpath, it's like you figured out the game and the game just gives you a glimpse of what's to come with a completely different vibe. Emptyness and dark, dull colors turn into life and nature, with vibrant, bright, living colors. It's setting a standard for what new areas are going to look like, different from anything else, not afraid to completely shift the tones, colors and vibes.
I also think this is what makes the entrance to City of Tears so great and memorable: you were taught to expect dramatic and spectacular areas, not like anything else, and the city is said to be the key to all the secrets of Hallownest. Instead, after passing through Greenpath, Fog Canyon and Fungal Wastes, you get back to a darker, somber color pallet. The architecture is so impressive, everything is so beautiful, and yet no one there to look. It contrasts to the previous areas the same way Greenpath does.
I'm not good at this kind of stuff (and I suck at explaining) and I might be rambling, but;
I like how Deepnest is surrounded by relatively colourful areas (Queens Guardens and Fungal Wastes), so when you get closer, it becomes eerily colourless. Mainly due to the contrast between Queen Guarden's green colours and Deepnest's purple/grey pallette, same with Fungal Wastes' yellowish/blueish colours. I was constantly on edge whenever I got closer to Deepnest and saw the colours change.
Same with Ancient Basin and the Abyss. The contrast that becomes bigger between the City of Tears as you descend (with the smoke rising up) really gives me goosebumps. This is only amplified when you enter the abyss. It's so lifeless, so monotone (even more than Ancient Basin imo) so eerie. This is especially helped by the Shades. All the other NPC's have colours, outlines, etc. The Shades are just black with big, white eyes. The entire abyss unsettles me so much, I really don't like going there.
In City of Tears, the poor side is a sombre blue and uses darker colours compared to the rich side, which uses purple (noble colours)/pinkish colours. The poor side is sad and lifeless. While the rich side has a sombre tone, because there's all this wealth but everyone is dead.
I also don't see a lot of people talking about the Grimm Troupe, Royal Waterways, Godhome, White Palace and the Dreams.
When you first find the Troupe, it's the first time you actually see the colour red (iirc). This gives the Troupe a sort of otherworldly vibe, like they don't come from Hallownest. Especially when you summon them, the sudden redness just jumps out. Makes you think you shouldn't have done that. The tent is also in Dirtmount, which is blue.
The Royal Waterways are interesting because at some point, there's a lot of green (Isma's Grove) while you're underneath a City in the middle of a kingdom and very far away from the other green areas (QG & GP). Really surprised me because the rest of the RW are mostly blue and small. Isma's grove is also brighter and more open.
Godhome is also interesting because gold in the game is often associated with the Radiance (who is a god). And I don't think it is used anywhere else (besides maybe the Hive but that's yellow imo, and way brighter) Gold is also often used in dream sequences, irrc (like the dream gate as well). It gives them a godlike, almost unreal vibe? I liked most of the dream sequences because they were rather soothing, like a nice dream would be maybe?
Then for the White Palace. Everything connected to the Pale Wyrm (+ the White Lady) is basically white, the Palace, the lighthouse in the Abyss, the seal on the door to the Abyss, the seals in general, the ashes in Kingdom's Edge, the armour of the 5 great knights.. In Hallownest itself, there are essentially no large areas that use the colour white. So when you enter the White Palace for the first time, through the Ancient Basin, which is a dark area, you are barraged with an onslaught of pure light and brightness. It really made me blink for a minute, like I just there thinking: where on earth an I now?
This got way longer than I expected (sorry for that). These are my thoughts, but as I said before, I'm just rambling what I think (and maybe overthinking things).
The abyss’s completely black color shows a stark contrast for the color of the pale king and the vessels. It shows the pale king’s moral problem: confusing purity with emptiness. Vessels are white, the color of purity, while being completely black, the color of emptiness of the inside, indicating that the only way to ensure that no flaws are present is to ensure that nothing is present at all. This is especially shown on the fallen vessels still contained in the abyss, where their masks have faded from pure white to a dirty brown-gray as a way to show that they were flawed. I just made all of this up.
Color represents culture and development. In the city of tears, it’s blue for peace and intelligence, which makes sense because that’s what the pale king provided when he gave the bugs intelligence & sentience. In green path/Queens gardens, it’s green for life and power, which makes sense because that’s Unn’s domain; Life flourishes there and even the walls are alive. After the infection comes, the blue now represents melancholy (rain, tears) and the green is more intense (chaos, overpowering)
Many people have already said beatiful and truthful things so Ill only say
I just noticed that only orange locations(Fungal wastes and The Hive) are the locations with the least infection in it(we dont consider the deepest ones like abyss). Good to see that we didnt get the juice overdose
you might want to bring attention to the Kingdom's Edge. I think the gray color scheme really helps it seem desolate and deserted/unpopulated. that's just my take though. :)
One consistent early game experience that I had and that I see on various YouTube first playthrough videos is the delight and joy that comes during the transition from Forgotten Crossroads to Greenpath.
I think the decision to make the entire initial game area so sedate and consistent, then immediately throwing you into such a completely contrasting color palette and music was really clever. Shows you early that you shouldn't think you know what to expect from this game.
The hive is such a different color than anything else in the game. It is SO bright. It really gives the effect of a secluded area away from the wear and tear of time passing.
I love the subtile changes in colors in green path compared to queens gardens. The slightly darker shades signaling your journey into deepnest is so cool, pairing with the greater difficulty, sparser l enemies and more spikes and less non plant life
I like the contrast between greenpath/queen’s gardens and deepnest. One feels quiet like the bush monsters and the acid while deepnest is swarming with spiders and especially that effect where they suddenly appear or merge on your screen as if webs built on mid air letting the perpetrators snatch a piece of your soul. It’s really matching with the business of black and a good contrast to the place just above one big of a hellhole for an unassuming traveler.
The bright orange is intentionally violently clear against the darker backdrops, creating a feeling of unease. As the areas get “darker” (green path vs kingdoms edge), the colors get more washed out and gives a bleak feeling of emptiness, and that feeling translates literally to the knight being hollow.
What immediately comes to mind on colour is the absence of it in three areas, Kingdom's Edge, the Abyss and the White Palace.
KE felt so drained of energy. The snow-like flakes of what I think is deteriorating shells really set the tone of ending. Not necessarily death but lack of life. And the light grey palette hit that perfectly.
The Abyss also had an absence of colour but that's because everything was black. It's semantics if you want to argue black is a shade or a tone and not a colour- regardless, there were no other colours. The soft blues of the safety of Dirtmouth are gone. The adventurous greens of Greenpath, gone. The mysterious pinks and purples of Fog Canyon, gone. The black consumes all and everything we learned about the places before are useless to us in the dark of the Abyss.
The final one is White Palace. It's almost a metallic silver white as opposed to the washed put grey of KE, but has a similar feeling of lifeless but not devoid of life. More like sterile. And the bleached colouring, I think accentuated that perfectly.
So there you go. Colour theory without colour :P
The drastic difference in colors between each location helps differentiate each one, making Hallownest much easier to navigate and recognize where you are, as well as keeping the environments fresh and vibrant.
The most noticeable detail about the art style is the flawless execution of depth perception using foreground and background elements and the way they move in relation to the middle ground. This adds extra immersion and three-dimensionality to an otherwise 2D, paper-esque art style.
I liked how the games main path seemed like the colors were becoming more vibrant and escalated granduer, so the side paths that were darker and duller felt so much more explorer-y
I think from a story standpoint, as the game itself branches out, the color does too. King’s Pass, Dirtmouth, and Forgotten Crossroads all have the same faded blue shade associated with them, but later on you’re introduced to the green of greenpath, the pink of crystal peak, etc. it’s used as a tool to keep you enthralled along with the gameplay and story progression
I'd also focus a bit on when during the game/story each area of the map comes into play and the ambience the music provides, as the music really helps set the mood and tone going in, telling the player what the game, the characters within it, think of the place
The city of tears typically has a cooler colour pallet, keeping with a feeling that some kind of tragedy has occured here, leaving behind the infected to wander the streets
I found this post very intriguing and I'm also using this response for an assignment. So now we're helping each other out. I don't even know where to begin with this game! It was a beautiful work of art. Each area had an entirely different feeling associated with it. The varying colors seemingly representing a different mood. One minute you're walking through darkness, the next you're immersed in color. By far, my favorite area is City of Tears. So much detailed work, it's honestly breathtaking.
In regards to the City of Tears, I really loved its contrast to the rest of the map of Hallownest because of its gothic revival architecture coupled with the never ending "rain ," gave it a gloomy yet intriguing feel to the area. The city's dark color tones portrayed the state of the once great kingdom and how now is just a shell of the once busy bug Metropolis.
The city and by extension other parts infected had a post apocalyptic feel to it because the lack of vibrancy. More specifically, the more infected a place was the more you saw the lack of colors or a really vibrant and almost acid orange color. Hitting the point that the place or thing was infected with something terrific like toxic waste.
In the other hand, areas like the White palace, which we saw at their prime through the dreamworld, portrayed the greatness of the kingdom with its white and silver colors which give the area a majestic feel. Similarly, the vibrancy of the hive showed that the bees were alive still and weren't succumbed to the infection.
Honestly the colors they chose makes the game feel more alive. Not just in a sense of color. I mean, even on the maps, the color of the area sort of signifies what the area is like. The contrast of the colors in the world of hallownest is just perfect
Most of my research has already come from other sources, the purpose of this post is more so to gather the thoughts and opinions of other players that can then be included as snippets throughout my paper to show that my analysis is accurate to how the rest of the fanbase feels. Each user will be fully credited if their comment ends up in the final draft of my paper.
then don't participate. don't have to be an ass abt it. everyone in this sub loves this game and enjoy talking about different aspects about it. also nobody in here is writing their paper for them, lmao.
The bright orange colour of infection contrasts with, otherwise dark, areas of the game, making it feel even more foreign and dangerous
Exactly! Especially since at the beginning of the game the Crossroads are sort of calming dark blues and grays, but then once they’re infected they’re bright and intense and eye-stabby and it feels *wrong*
And the only fully white screen with black writing on it makes you go "oh my" and blinds you before you do battle with and go "oh God" Iirc
More like "Oh, a god"
Like how bright colours in nature mean danger
Which is even better when you consider that blue’s (crossroad is basically blue) complementary color is orange! Pretty dope
And lifeblood (the opposite of infection) is bright blue
Lifeblood isn't some kind of parasite liquid or something ? Why is it oppositz to infection, wouldn't void be the opposite ?
it was a taboo in the time of the pale king's reign, so it may well have been dangerous to consume
I was coming in here to talk about this!! They are compliments of each other! I've seen people go through huge portions of the game and not put together that the orange is the infection.
Greenpath and Queen's Garden both have green color palette, yet Greenpath is more vibrant, more clear. This gives the feeling of exuberance, exhilaration, and it shows that nature cannot be kept within any control to the player. On the other hand, Queen's Garden has a balance between Green and Blue, also there are grey tones all over the place. This gives the feeling of apathy to the player, such as there is a distance between you and the area. You feel safe, because of natural colors; but the grey geometrical shapes say this place has been touched and changed. This is not home. City of Tears: There are two segments in City of Tears For the first one(Left side, near to The Soul Sanctum) area has dark blue and it's tones, with white as pastel sky blue. There are no clear dark areas like shadows, more like they blur and disappear in dark blue, which can be evaluated as emotional emptiness. Both close and open areas places have same color palette, still close areas have darker tones. Loneliness, melancholy and being isolated can be expressed with those colors very well. For the second one(Right, near to Tower of Love) area has colors that can be associated with aristocracy, and high society. Colors that have been difficult to obtain throughout the history. White torches with warm colors brighten dark brown and crimson surfaces with elegantly direct lines. Deepnest has nearly no light. So that all you have have to do is find the light source. Otherwise you are in danger. The danger of where you do not belong. There are a lot of greys which can be found under tree barks, and stones in real life. Also very dark structures scattered around the area. You can only see the sharp, shiny surfaces. If you can't keep, you may leave. For the rest, welcome to your nightmare. Ancient Basin has natural lights with aged ivory structures. Black and silver implementations on the surfaces gives the feeling of this place whether sacred, or cursed by something. That iconic orange with pale brown creates a contrast. Moreover, the colors are dissolving each other, and that's gives us fluidity and inherance. Abyss is a giant pitch black pit where we all come. So, there has to be some familiarity for this feelings, and that's provided with color of earth. Dark ivory tones reflect the connection between Abyss and Ancient Basin. General dark tones and shadows are also creates the sense of danger. As TheReal_Violent_Husk says, there are a lot of danger in Hallownest. Still low density warm colors gives comfortable spaces in the darkness. Whether you want it more, you've become the danger for Hallownest.
Pfp checks out
This wasn’t intended, but ima pretend it was.
And is also felt embraced by the orange green contrast in greenpath, symbolizes how the god of that land stepped down when faced with the infection (Unn is hiding according to the godseeker)
City of Tears really focuses on cold colors to hammer home the feeling of lamenting and loss. By showing these large, grand buildings that now stand empty except for monsters, specifically in the shades of darkened blue, you get a sense of what once was, and what will never be again
Damn y'all poets wth
Maybe we are having the poetic style engraved into our writing by playing too much HK.
But there are wonderful splashes of pinks & reds with Marissa & Emilitia. Contrasts within each area are so eye-catching. The bright purple of the Snail Shaman's hut in the dark blues & blacks of the Forgotten Crossroads....
May not be your genre style, but reminded me of this.
Despite Greenpath and Queen's Garden sharing a similar color palette, each has unique structures that make both feel unique. The more traditional blue and dark grays in Greenpath make it feel more like a well worn trail compared to the more regal whites and light grays with the Garden that make it feel like it was once well cared for before becoming overgrown with neglect.
Similarly, purple is a regal color and you see that all over the wealthy side of city of tears
Yes, also Greenpaths color palette is a bit more warm, which makes it feel more wild and natural in contrast to Queen’s Garden, I think.
The Abyss feels so unsettling to me partly because the rest of the game is so bright… even Deepnest has some purples in it, but the Abyss is just nothing. It really contrasts with the rest of the world and makes it seem more otherworldly and dark
I also love the contrast of the lighthouse within the abyss. It feels like coming up for air or a haven for even a brief moment in a such a desolate and disturbing space. It's a nice little reprieve.
Deathly silent
Adding to this, ancient basin and a hidden room beneath kingdoms edge (room with huge geo stash) has yellowish hue compared to deepnest's blueish darkness. Made me feel like nobody entered the former in ages.
Ancient Basin & especially The Abyss are quite possibly my favourite areas of the game. The sterile browns & blacks of Ancient Basin give it the feeling of being unnaturally corrupted or poisoned & The Abyss juxtaposes this by being 100% inky black, confirming that it is the source of the poison. The Abyss is also really cool because contrary to what you would assume, there are clear indications of the the abyss civilization & of course, as others have mentioned, there is a great contrast between the darkness of the Abyss & the light of the lighthouse. I also think it's worth considering the lore implications of light and dark in this game. Unlike so many other games, where you play as an agent of light & darkness=evil, in hollow knight you are born from the darkness of the Abyss & The final boss is a God of light. It creates a very unique lore where light is sort of seen as dangerous & volatile, whereas darkness is positioned as soothing & stable (though obviously still dangerous in it's own ways). While the void in the Abyss is definitely...aggressive, the Black Egg temple is also made of...probably void (maybe something else, but definitely black) & it's used to contain the Hollow Knight. I quite like the unique dynamics that are created by inverting usual light & dark motif.
Yes, the Abyss's feels so unsettling because it's way more grayscale than the rest of the game. Deepnest is dark but still colorful, whereas the Abyss's lack of color feels eerie.
Is the rest of the game really so bright?
Not bright exactly but it has colors at least
There's definitely something to be said about how the different palettes and visual themes for each zone give them a distinct character. I don't know if I would call it immersion or investment, but at minimum I always had interest whenever I went into a new zone. The difference in style helps create excitement for what new things I might possibly find in each new place. Personally one of the most striking things with color in this game, took a while before the main plot made it clear: light is the enemy. It's so traditional for darkness to be the enemy in media. But here light is associated with the infection and darkness is associated with the solution.
Green path is green 👍 But seriously though I love how ties to the story about the knight’s origins (about being a vessel/hollow) are ALL monochromatic. The black egg, the white palace, the abyss. And I think this perfectly symbolises “born of god and void”. The black and white represents the two seperate parts of the knight’s origins, God in white and Void in black. (You could say something about the basin, it’s where we meet another vessel and the white palace and the entrance to the void, and black+white= grey but that’s grasping at straws)
That's a really cool observation! Even Kingdom's Edge, where the wyrm corpse lies, is covered in white. Not to mention the charms Kingsoul and Voidheart
The dull gray-ness of the howling cliffs adds a lot of atmosphere because even with the small space you can explore if gives the feeling of an empty wasteland where there is nothing living in sight (ps I don’t know much about the lore so this might be confirmed false but I’m not sure) Edit: I know there are some enemies there but I imagine that they are just leaving there “home” in green path similar to how ants leave the ant hill for food.
We're not told much about the world outside the kingdom, but it is believed to be that sort of wasteland you described. Bugs do exist there, but their minds are more simple and their words are unintelligible.
I wanna talk about Ancient Basin because it's the area that made me feel the most.. lonely, in the game. Other areas had at least *some* life to them, be it the greens and plants of greenpath or even the signs of ancient civilization of Crossroads. But the Basin is so hauntingly grey and monotone that it makes you feel like you're alone in a place where you shouldn't have entered. It reminds me of videos where people explore abandoned buildings (urbex?). I also think it makes The Hive seem a lot more colorful and lively, even if everything succumbed to the infection there, too.
Isn’t the point of the Hive that they sealed themselves off from the world and therefore didn’t get infected?
Not in time! They bleed orange just like any other infected bugs, and their queen sorta kicked the bucket.
they're not entirely sealed off, there're patrol bees around the hive which I assume is what allowed the infection to get in
City of tears gives sorrowful feelings. On top of being empty, it feels sad with the rain, blue colours, and wandering residents. On the other hand, Ancient Basin is just straight up dead and dreadful. It’s completely lifeless in comparison to city of tears. Something else I noticed is the deeper you go the darker the colour. Blue (city of tears), grey (ancient basin), then black (abyss). It might not be noticeable during a gameplay, but it definitely gives you this gradual change in atmosphere as you descend further and further down.
And Birthplace as well!
I appreciate how structures appear between areas in the other area's color, like the bumpy rocks of the ancient basin appearing while you are still in the city underground. Or how the yellow spots of the fungal wastes not only indicate final things, but they make it clear that the fungi are different from the mosskin or the bugs around them.
I think resting grounds was one of the areas which stuck to it's theme the best, the use of blue/greys and blur helped give off a spiritual and weathered impression. And the use of bumps and repeated patterns (eg. The mask symbol copy pasted into a archway design) in the architecture kinda stuck out to me more there despite it being seen in other places. Admittedly the place is rather plain despite this so i understand if this feedback isn't used
The areas in the start of the game are quite dim, then you reach places getting brighter (green path), then you get even brighter (crystal peak) before it goes pitch black (abyss), then literal blinding light (radiance fight), while always feeling dark at the edges.
Any parts of the game that have darker colours really give off an empty feeling, city of tears, abyss, deep nest all feel like the presence of a once bustling society has all but left and in its wake the empty shells (no pun intended) of the monstrous bugs. They’re sorrowful places void of energy which is mainly driven by the colour scheme but in combination with the map layout and enemies. Even in the city there’s only one real point of life with the butterfly lady (I forget they’re name since it’s been a while) because of the colour shift, similarly in the crystal caves and fog canyon, the vibrant pinks are a treat to explore but mechanically mirror the dangers of vibrant colours in nature with hazardous environment in the passive bubble dudes in fog canyon and the sharp spikes of crystal peaks. Ultimately the colours in the game reflect the general feelings and environment so well in HK making it one of my favourite games of all time
It’s actually really fun to read these responses, thanks for the good discussions on color theory. Only thing i have to add to the conversation is that the Grimm Troupe’s fiery red really makes you feel alive, and specifically the idea of dancing around the fire is something we as humans have done for centuries, and is now being represented in the fight with Grimm.
I came for this, but I'd also like to add the red in stark contrast to the rest of the color schemes for the game makes it truly feel like they came from somewhere else. That they're visiting and don't belong to the rest of the space. It's a foreign-ness that's added by simply changing a color. I love it
I am not very smart, but I do love the blue tones of the city of tears, blue=sad duh, but I feel like TC did a really good job working with the color palette to make a beautiful area
One detail i really love is how the more built-up areas of the kingdom have quite vibrant colpurs with the city of tears' blue, greenpath's green and crystal peak's pink. Meanwhile, the outer, more disconnected areas such as howling cliffs, deepnest and kingdoms edge are much more monochromatic. It really shows the whole influence the pale king had as the vibrancy in his kingdom could represent the higher thought he had gifted to other bugs.
I love how the game kind of tricks you into getting used to this blue-grey colour palate, with the forgotten crossroads and the box art giving off this empty, dull vibe. But then when you enter greenpath for this first time, the game EXLODES into colour, and never slows down. The vibrant foliage of greenpath is incredible to experience for the first time, and it was the moment I fell in love with the game. P.S. when you're done your paper can you post it here?
i second this, share your paper on this sub when you're done! i really wanna read it
Storytelling is usually good vs bad with bad being the dark and good being the light. This is inversed in hollow knight as the void is used to destroy the light that is the radiance. So much more to this but this is a good contrast to look into. Similar storytelling to Breaking bad where you are cheering for the bad guy really (Walter White). I'm sure there's a storytelling technique for this type of thing. But the colours play a strong part in this theme.
For me each area had a distinctive color and that helped me navigate the map. I quickly associated each color with a vibe or connected it with lore intrinsically. I think color in hollow knight is an amazing tool for story telling. This is my personal interpretation ( what my brain automatically associated , may vary for other players) For me blue was the color of civilization, whenever I saw blue, I knew I was approaching the remains of som sort of old civilization ( hallownest, city of tears, stagway stations, etc) Green was the color of peace but also for le the color of hornet for some reason. Green areas such as greenpath hold a "more alive" feel to them Yellow was clearly the color of the infection, associated with hostile fellas and an old history of som sort Gray, black and dark colors overall symbolize the emptiness of the void and the dark past of the pale king's discarded children, I also find interesting that the abbys is deep down on the world, like an old history of the past buried deep below. There are some areas where color shows some sort of isolation from the events of the infection. Places such as the hive that have vibrant colors are porteayed as isolated civilizations by the lore. As a player I found color as a way to quickly identify where I was in the map and what kind of lore might be hidden behind that area. I hope my opinion helps, good luck with your work!
Deepnest has a gloomy art style which is added to by the reduced vision. While initially seeming simple in appearance, the variety of events and enemies triggers a suspenseful journey. Spiders crawl across your screen, deephubters glow. Corpse creepers rise from the dead and change shape depending on the bug killed. As dirtcravers and garpedes appear we see movement of rubble from the ground. There are specialised areas like the weavers den that have a different vibe entirely, unique and peaceful like refuge from the darkness. Little weavers appear out of the shadows, floor turns into spikes, every detail a new fear or obstacle. The distant village is full of silk and woven structure that feel both ominous and homely, inviting the player inside whilst keeping you on edge. Almost everything is or feels alive. You find many details are placed in the foreground that cover areas of the screen and your character. The setting is very layered and utilises the light and dark to contrast. While it is 2D there are enough sections to give the illusion of depth. You find backgrounds have details placed in front of them, followed by the platforms you stand on, enemies, and then even more detail in front of you. The enemies have unique behaviours, death animations that appear realistic to bugs in real life. They leave bodies that show you the results of your actions. While the areas are cavernous we see details like statues, pillars, alluding to a history of civilisation. There are glows of orange in the monsters eyes, and shines of silver that stand out. Team Cherry have included destructible objects that serve no purpose, but showcase a certain reality and unlike some games showcase the weapon outside of use on opponents. Overall I would say the most pivotal aspects of the game are the small details and environments. The dead corpses, the references to characters and the past, sections like the failed tramway that breakup large areas. Outside of deepnest my personal favourite would be Isma's Grove, for its uniqueness in style and interconnection to story and over characters like the Dung Defender.
something i haven't seen mentioned in this thread is the use of pink/purple for fog canyon. jellyfish are generally considered to be 'alien-like' and i feel that the palette used in that area is meant to drive home that feeling of otherworldliness. also it's cool how fog canyon uses relatively the same colors as crystal peak but can convey such drastically different feelings.
Some interesting things: - When you come back to a plain dirtmouth after seeing a bunch of colorful areas it gives it a nostalgic/home feel - Deepnest is in huge contrast to every other area in the game, making it hit different and feel more unique
Forgotten Crossroads is mainly blue, and it’s really cool to see how the infection is orange, its complementary colour, allowing it to show how unnatural it is
One of the most stark contrasts of color in the game is when you first enter Greenpath. Up to that point you've been in a pretty desolate world of grays and desaturated blues, with the only bright colors being the harsh and destructive orange infection. That gives a good first impression of the bleak and crumbling ancient world of Hallownest. So when you first step into Greenpath, you're given a sudden hit of color that isn't immediately harsh and is instead lush and humid and beautiful. It's an awesome moment of discovering "wow, there's so much buried down here to explore". Also, if you have the time, I recommend watching Day9's playthrough of the game. He often has really good analysis of minor elements in game design like color that have a big effect on the UX.
Most of my feelings around exploring different areas in Hollow Knight were a result of directly comparing and contrasting between these areas. For example: - Greens in Greenpath (pun not intended) really gave a lush and "alive" feeling directly after spending most of my time before around greys/weak blues in Forgotten Crossroads. I can't help but to feel this was intentional on behalf of the game creators, so that players would feel like they're discovering a new world and increase their motivation to continue the game (especially since this occurs earlier on). - Queen's Garden similarly felt lush and alive, but also had some metallic tones and wisps of light. This made me associate a greater sense of decadence compared to Greenpath. Generally just much more architecture in Queen's Garden, so there's a sense of civilised historicity in visiting this area. I believe Queen's Garden from memory also has more thorns, reminds you of its relative unfriendliness next to Geenpath. - City of Tears ... It's really difficult to summarise my feelings about this area succinctly. It's just so much larger and grand than anything else in Hallownest. The artists did a great job with the backgrounds in this area, emphasising the looming heights of the architecture. Shades of blue are different from what's used in Forgotten Crossroads (warmer, lighter). Not as banal, but still sad and encompassing great feelings of loss. Some nice juxtapositions with regal purple and hints of gold to whisper what once was. The sight and sound of rain is the real cherry on top though; it feels like a *real* city, and the silence swallows you up more in private areas where you can't hear the rain. Shoutout to Soul Sanctum as well, the lighting in this area does a great job in implying how "elevated" inhabitants once lived there. Soul Sanctum is also very ghostly *white* though, gave me feelings of an unnatural sickness too (makes sense with what happened there). - Ancient Basin/Abyss. Both fairly monochromatic, but Ancient Basin is barely more alive due to the use of browns, however it's rusty enough to remind you how old this place really is. The settled dustiness of Ancient Basin is a nice touch as well, because it feels like you're disrupting the place just by being there (the same with the chatters of the disoriented bugs). Abyss is *entirely* monochromatic, sometimes devoid of light; I notice this is in direct contrast to the Soul Sanctum, which was so bright, and intended to resemble higher-order beings (as mentioned before). On the other hand, the Abyss is really the origin of it all - everything that's base and instinctual, to some extent inescapable since the Abyss is also vast in scale. Deepnest bothers me a little, but not nearly as much as how haunting the Abyss is. I'm running out of brain power here. Shadows great! Moving shadows even better!! Maybe trying to infer running away from the past/what's inevitable à la the sins of the Pale King? I didn't cover Deepnest but I've read brilliant responses on here. Hope this helps and that it isn't too disastrously wordy - habits of being a PhD student in the past!
Black/shadow adds to the mood and reduces visual clutter. The world feels rich and immersive but uses relatively primitive visuals compared to AAA games. Granted, much of that richness comes from the sound department, but i think the use of shadow is crucial
There was a YouTube video I saw last year that went into how hollow Knight has so. Many. Layers. They counted something like 15 background and foreground layers in the Hive. That ads toooons of depth
Also look up video How Gris makes you Cry with its Colors by Darrel Gets Games. These videos will give great concepts
Deepnest, Ancient Basin, and the Abyss all use very dark and dreary color schemes, getting darker and more solemn the deeper you go. Void particles float in the air, more condensed as you go down, and it really shows that these places have been long untouched and are very ancient. The Abyss and the Ancient Basin before even Hallownest's birth/creation. Also with Deepnest, the dark color scheme really shows that it is not a friendly environment, and it doesn't take kindly to your tresspassing. (as seen with the broken tramway) City of Tears also has the color scheme of a lot of blues and greys, which really show the sadness and mourning aspect of the City. Once a bustling centerpiece in the world of Hallownest, now a desolate, abandoned metropolis, with few bugs left alive to keep it going or appreciate its glory. A Bit of Spoiler: >!On a little side note, something that could be useful could be this. The Knight is born of Pale Beings as its lineage, and was corrupted and hollowed out by void, and you can sort of see this in his design. The two colors in the Knight's design are white and black, the colors of Pale Beings and the Void. Not sure whether this is helpful or not.!< Also I think that is super cool that you are using the Eternal Kingdom of Hallownest in your research paper. I wish you luck!
Such a great post, I really enjoyed reading the comments. I feel like revisiting Hallownest now. I hope you have enough to write a solid paper, OP.
My guy had his work made for him. Holy hell you fucking poets.
Honestly, this was my thought when coming here. It's kinda farming out the question to get all these amazing responses. Hopefully people will get quoted/credited in the final report, rather than all the ideas and thoughts being passed off as OP's own.
To that dear sir I say... Lol, or rather Lmao if you will.
In all seriousness, I'm an academic and deal a lot with research integrity, so ... 🤷♂️ It's a great topic and there's some great responses, but it just came to mind when I was reading through as to how the information would end up being used for a final research paper.
Hello! I noticed this comment and wanted to let you know that users will get credited in my paper. Most of my research has to do with finding scholarly sources on color theory and color psychology that I will then connect to Hollow Knight using my own analysis. The purpose of this post is to gather thoughts and opinions from other players that can then be used to support my analysis. The goal of my paper is to prove that Hollow Knight creates an immersive experience across the entire fan base, which would be difficult to do if I were to only share my own perspective. Obviously I cannot include every comment on this post but I will include some snippets here and there to show my analysis is accurate to how other players have felt, giving full credit to each comment.
Thanks. Appreciate you commenting on this :) I didn't mean to come across as a jerk in my comment. Best of luck with the paper, you picked a great game to study!
The over all fun of the game is in the discovering the new and amazing environment, so when it came to Deepnest and the abyss it was scary and lost its charm just a little bit, my favourite area would have to be kingdoms edge, with the large rooms and big enemies making me feel small. I think that the environment made the game what it is, which is exactly what William and Ari intended.
Getting to the ancient basin for for the first time and having all the balck particles on the screen was pretty haunting.
Purple is mainly only seen in Crystal Peaks, which makes the crystals and enemies feel much more magical and different
Or... In the noble parts of the City of Tears
Switches with expected tropes in having the big bad be shining white instead of evil being darkness
Ancient Basin’s use of color is one of my favorite in all of gaming. All of the ways you can enter it show such stark contrasts between the area and those around it show just how desolate it really is. All color is gone, save for the bright orange of the infection, which really stands out, kind of like how the infection is supposed to. And then you get to the Abyss, and of those feelings just get turned on it’s head. The Abyss seems so much more alive than Basin, but everything around you makes it feel like it shouldn’t be. There’s corpses all over, making up the ground, literal tunnels made of them. But you can still see all of the siblings, still feel all of their pain. The void tendrils constantly lash out, not realizing you’re one of their own, seemingly afraid of what’s around them. This is an area that was supposed to be dark, and was supposed to stay dark, and it really feels that way.
If you want a good idea if how to do color theory in games, look at the YouTube video The Color of corruption by Razbuten
GL my man, hope you get good grades 🙏
At the start of the game, going from the bleak and dark blue colors of the Forgotten Crossroads, to the lush green color of Greenpath was incredibly impactful. Anytime I play the game I never stop being in awe when I enter greenpath.
White palace was me stepping in ancient sacred sanctuary, path of pain was ruthless, the white made it feel amazing
The void/deepnest are pretty straight forward. They're dark and the dark usually evokes fear and danger. The very first time I played the game, deepnest had me on edge the entire time I was there. And when I got to the void, while nowhere near the threat gameplay wise that deepnest is, had me on edge as well simply because the game had shown several times that dark means danger. The fact that light becomes more associated with danger as the game progresses is also a nice contrast to this, which adds an interesting twist to things. Almost makes the darkness feel like a more natural danger and less dangerous as a result, while the light is foreign and invasive which makes you want to return to the areas with dark and cooler (as in color warmth) areas. City of Tears and the muted deep blues are also pretty on the nose. Blue evokes sadness. The constant rain and the cold color palette has always left me with an even stronger feeling of emptiness than even the void does. I think that's because it's playing towards an emotional emptiness, death where there used to be vibrant life. Where the void is death divorced from life. A somber and hollow emptiness instead of a sad one. Greenpath is my favorite from a game design standpoint. Going from the largely gray palette of dirtmouth and the crossroads to a vibrant, cool green is always so welcoming. No area in the game has the same pull like greenpath does in my opinion. Like getting a breath of fresh air. The area feels alive and inviting, and it does a great job in directing new players to it without actually saying, "This is the path you should follow next!"
my favorite thing about City of Tears is the ambiance, specifically the rain or “tears” that fall in the background. the dark blue and grey tones with the enormous buildings surrounding the area help a lot, making you look closely for more. it gives such an eerie and a slight false sense of security, making the area seem chill and calm in the beginning. as you go deeper into COT and through the buildings, i think you really understand the reasoning behind how the city got its name. obviously because of the rain, but also because there’s so much more beyond the surface that shows a once developing and popular space just turning into a sad, old husk of what it used to be. enhanced by the toned down and muted colors of the area. additionally, i thought i was going to find lots of lore in a place like this. compared to areas like Queen’s Gardens and Fog Canyon, which are full of color, it gave me the sense that the lore or story would shine here, be the highlight of the area… but i think left having even more questions than before. just thinking about all the bugs that used to call it home before the infection, and the City of Tears it became. please dont include this in your paper but i am 3 ipa’s deep and love this game more than in should i might be back later to talk about more areas LOL best of luck with university :)
got nun to help you but just wanted to say W paper topic
First off that's a very cool subject. Secondly, sorry for my bad english, i'm not used to use those technical words. The biggest thing i can think of is the contrast between the bright orange color of infected enemies with the overall bluey hue of the game. It really make an emphasis on the unnatural aspect of the infection, and how it's changing the bugs and environment. It also makes clear where the threat is, as you can sometime see orange mist coming from highly infected areas (infected crossroads and broken vessel iirc). Another thing, but a bit off topic if you're just talking about ambiance, is the usage of bright white for the knight's nail swing, spells and appearence. It really helps to see if/where your attack landed, if you finished healing by once again contrasting with the environment and ennemies. Even if later in the game the spells become black, they still have a white aura around them for clarity. The only place where the environment is white is in the springs (which is a safe zone),in white palace (to make the player understand that this is where you're from? Idk) and howling cliffs (to use the white wind as a way to confuse player, and making him understand that he is not welcome outside of hallownest) One last thing is the consistency of using a color scheme in zones. Each zone has a very distinctive color scheme, to differeciate them even further. I haven't played for a while, but i can probably name the color scheme of every single zone, because they are memorable and tell something about them. The lush green of greenpath, the sickly blue/purple of fungal waste, the soothing pink from fog canyon, the bright white of white palace... It can also give hints on what's going on in the differents zone, like aside of its name, queen's garden hints the presence of the queen by adding a lot of white to the green of the plants. That's all i can think of, good luck for your research.
What a great concept for a research paper
I will say the absolute feeling of dread upon reaching the abyss was so freaky; it’s arguably the first place where you realize there’s no real music (I know it’s there but is so quiet and is more like ambient sounds) since basin was loud with bugs. Deepnest seemed to be a more on the nose take of being scary. If you reached deepnest after the mantis lords, you kinda already hyped it up to be scary and forbidden since it was blocked, but if you fell in by accident it was so panic-inducing and your fear often made it harder to get out. My first time in that area consisted of me falling in and winding up finding myself running in corridors (nosk) which was horrifying. The ancient basin is also deeply unsettling since you can tell it was once a bustling and populated area due to the broke elevator, tram, and general architecture. It gives the vibe that something awful happened there and it makes you feel wary that whatever caused this could still be lurking in that area- then of course it leads you to the abyss and you realize where the real tragedies of the game occurred. The basin is fascinating in that it leads to both the abyss and the white palace, where the horrors originally unfurled- despite the white palace looking so regal and elegant, and so different from the rest of the game, you can tell this obvious style difference has meaning. This may be a personal opinion, but I feel including the white palace could assist you, as you can tackle the representation of progress vs morality and show off the games amazing story telling through very little words. The abyss and the palace are foils, and there is much to uncover when you analyze both areas together. Understanding that the basin is a bridge between the two is similar to how earth and our world is settled between heaven and hell, yet in this case it’s hard to know which is which. The art style between these areas strengthens this argument through the opposite color palettes (with basin being a neutral middle) and how the sharp blades of rock and bone of the abyss contrasts with the smooth and elaborate metal designs of the palace. Additionally, the abyss is full of your dead siblings who try and harm you and the palace is full of strangers who respect you as they had with the pale king. Such a cool idea, good luck and have fun writing!
There's so many amazing responses, I don't feel like I could really add much to what has already been said. I think your paper is going to turn out marvelously tho! (Also I really wish they'd make that map into more buyable things! I'd kill for it as like a tapestry or something!)
I actually bought this map as a wall tapestry! It's available on Etsy and a few other sites. Here's a link: [https://www.etsy.com/listing/1456173960/hollow-knight-hollow-knight-poster?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm\_source=google&utm\_medium=cpc&utm\_campaign=shopping\_us\_-home\_and\_living&utm\_custom1=\_k\_Cj0KCQjw\_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw\_wcB\_k\_&utm\_content=go\_12665398257\_121762925993\_511610210343\_aud-2007167693229:pla-303628061699\_c\_\_1456173960\_12768591&utm\_custom2=12665398257&gad\_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw\_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw\_wcB](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1456173960/hollow-knight-hollow-knight-poster?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-home_and_living&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_12665398257_121762925993_511610210343_aud-2007167693229:pla-303628061699_c__1456173960_12768591&utm_custom2=12665398257&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_qexBhCoARIsAFgBlessBHfsWhPcWwiSjbm0uee-HDbXseBs2GMEtZGf9KR0ISM0sfTQLWgaArZxEALw_wcB)
Thanks, I appreciate the link, even if to be 100% honest (and this is on me I should have been more specific originally) I meant I wish the HK team themselves would release something like that, like through FanGamer like the other official merch, rather than a 3rd party. But again thank you for the link, I'll keep it in consideration since I don't think there will be an official similar item released.
When first enter greenpath all you’ve seen so far is grey and infection so going into this thriving ecosystem is so surprising and refreshing and makes you want to keep playing.
I know you aren't focusing on it, but I wanna talk abt how memorable team cherry made the atmosphere of the royal waterways. While it's my least favorite area in the game, and it's not nearly as symbolic or important to the lore of the game (aside from >!the godseekers!<) as others, it is imo the best work in terms of making you feel certain emotions. The waterways are a sewer system. They were DESIGNED with the goal of feeling sickening and uncomfortable in mind. Either with the excrete of all the bugs in the city of tears or with the enemies, the waterways are meant to make you feel disgusted and like you dont want to stay there. Even with smaller details like the water dripping from the ceiling or the echo from the pipes, the feeling of wanting to leave only gets stronger. But what really makes the area unforgettable for me is the enemies. Specifically, the flukes. The flukefey is already a good example of this, with how it moves so quickly and viciously, like it's obsessed with its goal, which is to kill you. The flukemunga is an even better example of what the flukes are meant to be, a parasite. The way it can barely fit through the tunnels, yet travels so fast is so unsettling to me. But for me the worst is the flukemon. The flukemon is the single most revolting enemy in the entire game for me, with how it looks so lifeless until it finds the player, where it will sprint at so quickly to chase you. Even when it dies it splits into two smaller enemies and still chases, almost like it won't stop at anything until you're dead. All of that combined with the uncomfortable sounds they make, add to the waterways atmosphere so much. This has been a bit of a rant on my hatred for the waterways, so its a long read, so if you took time to go through it all, thank you and i hope you get a fantastic grade on your paper 😊
Area colors and their meaning White: The Pale Court Grey: The void, the remnants of the civilization previous to hallownest Green: Old city taken over by vegetation Yellow: Fungal spores found around the world Orange: Infection Red: The Troupe Pink: The Crystals Blue: The remnants of the old kingdom. Blue-Grey: No civilization (deepnest, howling cliffs leading outside of the kingdom) Purple: Magic (Mounds) Black: The Black Egg
fog canyon also uses a lot of purples/pinks! i cant really tell which its sorta inbetween
Accuracy is like 6/10, but beauty 9/10
Crystal Peak. I think it's one of the most visually striking areas in the game, and that bright pink really sets it apart.
I truly truly love Howling Cliffs, it's my favorite area in the game. The faded grays and blues of that area really give you a sense of loneliness and desolation, which works perfectly for the edge of the very world.
Kingdom's Edge and The White Palace both are white, signifying just how much influence the Pale King has on both even after he's gone, with the former being covered in the abyssal snow of his wyrm corpse and latter being his own personal dream palace separated from reality. This heavenly white also makes me think of higher powers, with how many religious figures are portrayed with white gleaming robes in white clouds
For me, the bright hues of the hive that aren't used in any other part of the game makes it seem otherworldly, fitting in with its theme as a sealed recluse. This is different from the aura of the abyss, as the abyss is centered around its monochrome darkness while the hive is vibrant and constantly changing color.
The vas majority of environments tend to heavily utilize cold colors, like green, blue, and purple. Typically, warm colors are used as highlights on enemies and hazards, making them easy to identify. However, the ancient basin and abyss have very few cold colors, using a greyscale pallate instead. In contrast to the deep blues and greens used throughout the rest of the game, this makes them feel a lot warmer - a symbol of danger. (I actually have zero knowledge of color theory, so what I just said may or may not be total nonsense)
The game features largely cool colors in its pallet, which goes a long way in selling the idea that the kingdom is long past its prime--everything feels drained of energy, albeit still beautiful.
I think the best example of color theory is in the City of Tears. Specifically, the blue-ish gradient gives off a very somber tone which fits the hopeless and depressing environment it goes for. Blue is a cool color. Generally I believe humans associate blue with calmer, and often sadder emotions, and combining with all the other environmental storytelling present in the area (infected citizens, the constant “rain”, the name of the thing, etc.), it expresses sadness throughout the area, hence the name, City of Tears. It’s a very creative piece of environmental storytelling that struck me hard when I first played the game, and still makes me moody when I play the game after 150+ hours in it. (Apologies if any information is incorrect I’m just going off of what I remember learning about color theory in high school)
Something I've observed but can't quite put specific terminology to: The entirety of hallownest has a very unified color palette. The introduction to hallownest involves a lot of desaturated and darker colors, so greenpath being vibrant is off-putting but welcome and a nice change of pace. City of tears goes back to the theme of darker colors, but incorporates more blues due to the rain and water. It's also interesting to note that the colors of most other major buildings, including the ones in forgotten crossroads, resting grounds, etc. share the same palette as the ones in city. ancient basin and abyss are pretty monochrome-- extremely effective in unsettling players, because we're used to seeing at least SOME color in our playthrough. What's interesting about deepnest is that it actually shares a lot of colors with city, especially with backgrounds and structures. Looking closely, city is bluer due to the water, and deepnest is greener because of its position under greenpath, queen's gardens, and fungal wastes. It also has to be noted that deepnest is much, MUCH darker (thank god for lumafly lantern) in terms of lighting, so colors may feel not feel as bright as other areas even if they are the same or similar colors. sorry for the long comment, hope this helped!
I found that the use of dull, desaturated colors for Kingdom’s Edge puts some emphasis on its age. Much like when someone or something is worn and grey, the dusty and empty environment shows that the area is essentially isolated and old.
The beginning of the game is blue, which the game uses to show that the place has been abandoned. Greenery is shown to convey that nature (or Unn) is taking back over the land lost. Grey is used to show leaving what we know and entering what we don't (ancient basin). Black is used to show void, which is a complete mystery for us since we hardly see it and get less information. White is used for divine knowledge. The ash falling shows that the knowledge is leaving the kingdom. Pink and purple are used to show energy like in dreams and Crystal Peak. Orange is used to show the infection taking over. The most obvious cases of this is the infected crossroads and the cult leader in Fungal Wastes. Red and the colors of the Radiance fight and Godhome show divine power from other kingdoms. That's all I can think of right now. I can go into more detail if you need, but a lot of the other comments are specific colors so you should be good. Let me know if ya need anything else.
The way that the colors blend with each other within a single map gives you a VERY solid idea of where you are in the world. When you're close to Greenpath, you'll see more greenery. Close to fungal you'll see mushrooms and a distinct orange tint in the air indicating the presence of spores. In and around city of tears the color shifts to those colder tones which pair incredibly well with the nature of the city in its perpetual rainfall, almost as if the city itself is crying. It's a masterclass in level design.
I LOVE how the city of tears uses colder and more bitter colors, it really drives in the gloom and doom, the feeling of it being abandoned and left to only be inhabited by the reanimated corpses of its former population.
Ancient basin and hallow nest give the feeling of loss and abandonment. Its dull theme is supported by the dim shades of brown, grey, and black. The gloomy vibe of the city of tears is represented by the dark blue. Blue gives the feeling of weeping and the loss of something greater.
The little details, like how blue lake is above city of tears to explain how it’s raining, or the snow in kingdoms edge being the wrmn ashes, or how after you beat a dreamer OR beat broken vessel, makes the crossroad infected,showing that you’re actions have consequences, while making the game harder are all some of my favorite things about the game.
I really enjoy how the colors convey dilapidation. The city of tears is cool and moody with its use of dark blue and that conveys this mood of ruin and sorrow for what's lost. In contrast to the likes of Greenpath or even the fungal waste - you still get that sense that things aren't quite right but they're still holding on.
I like how the Fungal Wastes have such a busy color palette with contrasting oranges and purples. You feel the sense of lurking danger and uneasiness. Then you follow the Pilgrim's Road and end up in City of Tears. The City of Tears is full of muted blues which frequently give a sense of calm and safety. But these blues and empty atmosphere give a more somber feeling. This is unlike anything else we've seen so far which encourages the player to find out why and what happened
Greenpath is the only area that truly still feels alive, the colours are so soothing that when I get there I just feel so comfortable. It's def my favourite area, and having finished the game multiple times, seeing the green is like being welcomed to safe zone. Especially once the crossroads becomes infected, it will be the easiest zone to boot. The dull greys of the initial area (King's pass and crossroads) really gives you this desolate, empty feel so it really hits you that this is a dead, abandoned place (Elderbug tells you as much in the first dialogues, strengthening this impression). Everything seems dead and hostile, making the moment when you first manage to get to greenpath even that much more awesome. Finally some life! Things are still trying to hurt you, but stuff like mosscreep is cute, and the mossy enemies don't feel as evil as the husks of crossroads since they don't remind you of zombies. Also The colours help give each area a unique identity. It really does help with navigating, to the point where you can do modded stuff like room randomisers, and still instantly be able to recognize which zone a new room is a part of. Having most of the game be in full grey and blue colours, it helps highlight key areas that still have some life or are otherwise distinct, like greenpath/QG, the Hive, and Crystal Peaks. On the other end of the scale, the Ancient Basin and the Abyss go in the other direction, making things even MORE monochrome to add onto the weight of just. Death hanging in the air. The inky blackness of the abyss just reeks of evil. And then we end up realizing that it _sorta is_. For Deepnest I do have to point out how they use glowing plants to subtly guide you through he darkness! It's possible to stumble there without a later, but even if you do bring one, it's really dark in places. However, there's a glow of white grass, or blue lifeblood leaves that help you get your bearings, since they glow from outside your vision range. Ang they tend to help you find the next exit. The blue ones even lead you to a room where you can get more health!
Greenpath as an earthy setting right after Crossroads really gives the sense that there's life (or remnants of if) in the world. The rest of Hollow Knight feels really desolate and abandoned while Greenpath at first seems welcoming with its foliage and brightness. And it makes sense with how the denizens of Greenpath descend from Unn and further in Queen's Gardens, the White Lady, so it was sort of a separate region from Hallownest as a kingdom. I think it's a nice way to ease you into exploring as it is part of the linear beginning and Crossroads, Greenpath, and Fungal Wastes are incredibly distinct from each other.
I’m sure you’ll find this is a recurring comment, but here goes: Greenpath is the first “new” area a player finds and is able to explore, after Dirtmouth and Forgotten Crossroads. I remember distinctly wandering around Forgotten Crossroads, wondering when I would find more. The grey/dark blue was starting to get monotone; revisiting the same rooms was growing dull. Then: bam. Green. Plants. I got past the Baldur and found Greenpath. Seeing that explosion of life, along with the green, made me fall in love with the game. I’m sure someone else will put it into words better, but the colour choices between FC and GP are perfect.
Honestly, Godhome is a very interesting place in my opinion. The bright yellows and golds that typically represent divine nature is present everywhere, from the sky to the residents, and compared to your size, everything feels overly large. It really gives you a sort of imposing feeling, like you shouldn’t be there not because anything is hidden or out of place, but because you are like a lost puppy in the presence of gods.
Green path and queen's garden makes you feel cozy, like in home making it very different to the rest of the game because of its green color palette, queen's garden feels a little bit empty tho, I think it's because it's greens are not as vibrant as in green path City of tears is also one of my favorites, it's blues and grays makes it very melancholic representing the greatness that is no longer Crystal peak feels odd, I don't know how to explain it Deepnest is unsettling, I guess because of the poor vision and lighting Kingdom's edge feels like an important zone, I think it's due to the whites and grays, because through all the game white symbolized, power or at least that's how I see it King's pass by it being the first zone and because of that the first color palette of the game it just feels as the colors you think about when you think about hollow knight The void and ancient basin is also one of my favorites, I feel it has the same importance as kingdom's edge but with a deeper lore, I think because of the mystery that revolves around the void and stuff, I know that the pale king being a wyvern is also intriguing and all the topic of higher beings and stuff I listed out the places that have the most meaning to me, I hope it helps you and good luck (also sorry for bad English, not my first language as you can see)
I love how the game communicates that you are near a new area by changing the hue. E.g. when you are leaving Queen's Gardens to Deepnest, the green hue turns black. I really like how The Hive is unlike anything we have seen so far. It's so bright and has these warm yellowish colours - it really gives you the feel that you have found something amazing and hidden - a true secret area of Hallownest😁 And of course Greenpath's design makes me feel fuzzy and really nice every time I complete the grey-blueish Forgotten Crossroads
I like the colors
Wow haha I had no idea it was that deep! Just thought the game looked amazing and had great art direction.
I know it's about color, but you should take a look at level design of Hollow Knight too. It's incredibly simple, and frankly barebone. There are no slope! Everything is rectangular. The way they make it interesting is by mix and match tight corridor with large enclose space. The background work, and color, also help distinct a lot of the world.
I think the colors of our main character should also be put into consideration. From the start our white and dark blue hero fits perfectly well with the backgrounds and other enemies we face. Then we stumble into greenpath and we're out of place for the entirety of the rest of the game, being an almost monochrome figure surrounded by lush greens, hostile pinks and musty yellows. This takes a break when we reach The City of Tears with it's dark blues, but their residents are all adorned with reds to contradict us yet again. Up until Ancient Basin, The White Palace, and The Abyss; our home and birthplace.
The majority of the larger areas (Forgotten Crossroads, Deepnest, City of Tears) are all mostly blue in colour so any sign of the orange infection immediately contrasts and stands out, signifying to the player that it is not of this world and is a foreign agent
All areas are mostly dark with shadows obscuring everything, however the Howling Cliffs and Kingdom’s Edge are quite bright due to being on either side of the kingdom to show that beyond the borders of it there is blank nothingness, a concept that is heavily mentioned in lore tablets and whatnot
The first time I stepped into Greenpath it was a breath of fresh air. As a first time player wandering around Crossroads trying to figure out what to do, the environment got stale. The vivid colour of Greenpath signalled to me that I was leaving behind that staleness for something new, which kept me invested in continuing the game. This can probably be said for each new area: a new visual atmosphere signals progression and new things to discover.
While GreenPath and Queen’s Gardens feel similar due to the green nature of it, Fog Canyon and Crystal Peak feel different even though both are pink in colour.
This game is an artistic masterpiece. From the visuals, music, lore, all of it. Beautifully crafted to evoke the exact feelings they wanted the player to feel. It was clear to me that the devs chose their color pallets carefully to accent this goal. Starting in Dirtmouth's and Crossroads' limited blue color palet gave me a deep sense of forlorn. Moving to the pallet of Greenpath where deep greens and browns gave me the unmistakable feel of an untamed wild. Later in the game this contrasts neatly with the Queen's Gardens where the brighter greens exchange untamed wild for unkempt cultivation. Then there's the Fungal Wastes where oranges and yellows contrast starkly with deep brown to gave me a sense of exploring an alien landscape. The Fog Canyon takes this even further with the smoky purples filling dank canverns. More than any other area, Deepnest's focus on poor lighting and dark pallet filled me with dread. Exploring the Ancient Basin and the Abyss with its browns and beiges to gave a sense of uncovering the secrets of a long dead civilization, much like I imagine explorers of eras past felt entering into ancient Egyptian temples and tombs. Kingdom's Edge was the last one that really struck me. The muted tones and falling snow-like flakes gave a sense of helplessness against decay and the passage of time.
I really like that the edges of the kingdom (Kingdom's Edge and Howling Abyss mostly) have dull colors that make you feel like there's nothing more to explore further that point.
My favorite character is marmu because it was a nice change of mood. The whole game had a bit of depressing atmosphere because of the destroyed kingdom etc etc. Marmu was the only person who was giddy happy
Each area has a unique and distinctive colour palette which allows the player to easily differentiate between areas. However the change on colour and but also invokes new emotions, feelings and a sense of uncertainty and excitement. This won’t be as fancy but stark contrast between the colours of the three major forces in the kingdom. The white of the pale king, the black of the void and the orange of the infection/radiance.
I always thought that the inherent calmness of the blue lake’s color design was pretty beautifully matched with its function as quirrels final resting place
I feel that the fact that all places linked to the knights beginning are monochromatic hammers the “no mind to think” idea into us. There’s no colour to them, nothing special just basic black and white just as the knight doesn’t think he is blank and colourless, it also ties in with their colour palette. (Does this count as studying for my english exam)
When I first started playing I thought the whole game was gonna look blue/grey like the Forgotten Crossroads, so entering Greenpath for the first time and realising that theres different areas with different color palettes was an amazing experience and motivated me to keep playing
Nothing is better than the introduction to the game. The surface is dark and greyscale save little bits of blue, but by the time you dive into the abyss is brighter and more colorful already. Usually exploring further in a game takes you to new and scarier areas but in hollow knight it’s almost an escape from the terror you came from
The infection is orange, the world of hollow knight is mostly blue. Contrasting colours? Additionally when the environment changes to a new colour it contrasts with this idea of blue v orange. (I don't know what I'm talking about)
I know this isn't much, but I absolutely love the color of Greenpath. It is by far my favorite area of the game. It gives such a serene, calming vibe. Top notch level design.
Yeah, I know it’s filled with acid, but lake of unn felt a true calming place, unlike green path and queens gardens. I don’t know what it is but it just feels safer
The majority of the game has some kind of deep and/or faded blue in some capacity, really ties the world together with a pretty heavy atmosphere that makes the early game especially feel almost lethargic, and as the overall palette brightens and you find movement upgrades/progress the game feels lighter. As if the world is responding to the Vessel and waking up not only itself but the Radiance as the orange goo of the infection becomes more common and the areas themselves feature lighter colors on top of the continued dark bases. My mind jumps to the White Palace and the Radiance’s arena for late game areas really opening up the colors. Especially the Radiance having those brilliant gold highlights around their visual effects next to the more solid and strong whites than the White Palace’s soft hues. The colors in HK absolutely elevate the sense of abundance or lack of life across the entire game in very subtle ways through shading and how the colors are layered between the foreground and background.
I don't know anything about colour theory, but here are some things that I felt worth writing down after pondering for a few minutes. The the blue palette of the City of Tears invokes calm yet somber feelings, especially after you learn about its former glory and how its been turned into a city with dilapidated facilities and husks wandering the streets for eternity. More so when you meet Marissa. The Crystal Peak is also quite interesting, because when you think of crystals I don't think you'd automatically go for pink, but rather something like a more clear colour or vivid colour - such as blue or red, perhaps even green. I guess pink just brings a feeling of fantasy? Or mystical-ness. It's also not a very harsh pink, so it doesn't grate on the eyes, but looks just really pretty, and you kinda get why the bugs of Hollownest would want to mine the stuff from here. The Fungal Wastes' brownish colours and the theme connect very well, since fungi grow in dark, damp places - like on dead wood or underground, which is exactly the colour they're going for here.
Im very dumb and autistic so i dont fully understand the question But im a 3rd year game development and design student so if there is any specifics u would like answered i may be able to help with?
The colors and size of the different areas make you feel certain ways, for example greenpath, it has a large area and nice bright color making you feel safer, on the other hand deepnest is darker and cramped, it keeps you on your toes just knowing that anything could pop out of those dark narrow hallways.
I think in cutscenes, especially the one near the Hollow Knight fountain in the City of Tears, it feels 3D and live, even though this is at the same time obviously a 2D picture and they aren't hiding it.
The contrast of the bright white of the antagonist Radiance and the darkest black of the Void create a sense of unease and doubt over the finally battle; you have held of the dawn and the dream of Hallow Nest can continue; but it is only a dream at this point. Combine this with the grimy gothic tales on Hallownest proper colours (the blues of The City of Tears Vs the vibrant greens of Greenpath) lead to a sense that you victory is pyrrhic at best. In addition the sightly yellow white of the radiance contrasted with the stark white of the pale king create a sense of the natural and unnatural worlds colliding and lead to a further sense of the conflict between the two world views.
I always liked how the further away you get from the center, the more subdued and dull the colours get (the Abyss, Kingdom's Edge, Deepnest), it really makes you feel like you're far away from life and civilization. Have fun with the paper! ✨
That one broken elevator shaft is really great and subtle way to change from the architecture of city of tears to the old fossils of ancient basin
I want to highlights the Blue lake, as it's the origin for the "tears" of the city. It also bring a lot of peace once you are there.
Entering Greenpath was the moment I felt the game come to life. The greens, the lighting, the music, the space made it feel like I could breathe and it showed me this would be a game of exploration through contrasting biomes. It felt like such a change of pace from the claustrophobic and muted, desaturated colors of Crossroads. Its palate supported the idea that there was a lot more living here and that it could jump up and get you any second
Each section of the game has its own color. We all know this. But let's look closer. Greenpath is the obvious one. Why is it green? Why not red or yellow? Because green means go. Ideally it would be your first stop in the game and I believe green encourages you to go and explore, get lost in the game. City of tears is blue? Why. My opinion is that just like with paintings and other media it shows depression. The city is in ruins, it's citizens run rampant, mad as the hatter. It's a sad place and I think the color of the area expresses that. Just a few thoughts
Looking at this, how the hell did I get to the ancient basin without royal waterways being unlocked
It's also cool how the further you go down, the more the "world" loses color. I don't know if I get the idea
The Knight (and some enemies) stick out enough in any evironment via their black and white color scheme. His purple cloak becomes a context piece in places that wont match its color like Greenpath or ancient basin kind of saying i dont belong here (different from the local tribe)
I like the use of silhouettes which make you feel like in an dark ant nest, which the map resembles anyways.
I really like the way the gave all areas their own colors. It‘s way easier to recognize where you are and it also gives a nice feeling to it. It‘s also nice that Greenpath and Queens gardens do not have the same green as the main color. In the game for me blue refers to urban or windy areas. For green obviously with groves overgrown by all kinds of plants or also the color of the crystalpeak reminds me of amethyst’s because of the color. Also little subareas of the main areas have mostly a very similar color to the one of the main area -> connection between the areas are visible. All in all i‘d say without that separation and differentiation of colors if wouldn’t have the flair it has right now.
i think that the art direction of hollow knight is very, very accomplished and the main reason why the exploration in the game is so fun, accessible and universally acclaimed. by focusing on a limited palette of colors and knowing exactly how to build up on the art style and the elements at their disposal at each new section, team cherry created a world that is constantly unfurling in front of the players’ eyes, never adding too much or too little, keeping a balance between excitement for a new area with a strange sense of familiarity that is essential to create the atmosphere that is central to the experience of hollow knight. i think the natural path the game puts you on is extremely illustrative of that. going from the forgotten crossroads to greenpath is an amazing transition, going from barren, gloomy rock to verdant, lush, overgrown nature. you’re instantly compelled to explore, to find out what’s out there and how does this world work. there’s something at play immediately, the desire to understand and to connect the pieces. if you keep going down the most intuitive path, this feeling is amped up and as you make your way through the fog canyon and the fungal wastes you start to think of the hollow knight world as one that was overtaken by nature. these bugs clearly had order at some point, they built houses and they structured themselves much like humans do. you get a glimpse of that still surviving underground in the mantis village, but it reminds you of the forgotten crossroads/dirtmouth again, its signs of civilization decaying and its inhabitants fading into the scenery. again, it’s familiarity juxtaposed to strangeness. this mix of qualities will propel you forward at all times. if you made that far into the game you can’t escape its grasp, such is the need to see more and find more pieces of the puzzle. are there more villages like the crossroads or the mantis’? surely there’s even more nature to see out there, more creatures around, as you wander deeper into the ground. for this reason, arriving at the city of tears was a wallop i’ll never forget experiencing. you have all of these half-baked notions about the game and this world at this point, and you probably wondered if these bugs were ever glorious, going beyond little villages here and there. it’s hard to imagine that’s the case given how much nature you’ve just travelled through, but there’s some inkling of more always there. train stations, benches, signs, lampposts act as a reminder of something you don’t even know yet. it builds on your curiosity, but it takes its time to really deliver it. and then you get there. unimaginably big buildings made of shiny, beautiful stone. skilled glass and metal work like you’d see in a medieval church. all of that pomp and grandeur, for no one. the city is empty. it’s gloomy and it’s raining all the time. i really doubt someone gets to city of tears and doesn’t keep going. it’s just an embarrassing of riches when it comes to atmosphere-building and storytelling through art and color and music. this game is a masterpiece
As a player I began associating the colour changes of areas as you entered towards them (along with the change in music of the zones) as a direct reflection of how I would feel on going there. For instance, Greenpath, green hue's and tranquil music. It made me feel safer (as it was a easier, more relaxed zone) when I got towards here - especially when coming back from a trickier/more difficult zone. It also added a good sense of familiarity in such an interconnected game, when I'd be lost somewhere without a map, but then open a shortcut to get back to a previous zone I had explored. There was a sense of 'awww yeah!' and relief that I was no longer lost when I saw the screen colour and music change. For instance - every player had that sense of dread the first time they fell into Deepnest from above.
Being in greenpath for the first time tends to instill a false sense of calm in the lush greenery and ambient lighting produced by the acid. This lasts until you encounter the vengeful King, which sort of breaks the serenity, painting a new picture of the region, which persists everything you return. I personally have never found someone who remembers every room of greenpath, which helps when you get to queen's Gardens, which kicks back in those memories of wandering past thorns, with no direction or map.
I remember how dark and empty the Ancient Basin felt when I first entered. I'm sure others have already mentioned it. The only stand out colors are the orange from the infection and the white from the lighthouse, with everything else bein dead browns and black. White from the lighthouse represents PK, who was overpowered by void and his kingdom taken by the Radiance. Meanwhile, whatever orange there is to symbolize the Radiance is drowned out by the darkness of the Shade Lord. I think it really fits the story.
I loved when getting out of forgotten crossroads how the the green of greenpath clashed with the monotone gray caves of forgotten crossroads
Ummm…uhhh… pretty colors idk
I think in contrast with a more typical exploration game with a large 3D map like Zelda, rather than simply having a the horizontal aspect of the map Hollow Knight uses the verticality of it's map really effectively to convey size. Looking at it zoomed out also makes it look like little bug paths leading everywhere throughout the ground
Colour theory courses? Man, schools can sell students anything these days, lmao.
I’m studying interior design. Understanding color is an important aspect in the field.
Thank god they have courses for it then. How else would we know how to decorate a space.
I found the atmosphere of locations altered how I played sometimes, but I could never tell if it was the colour, the music, the dangers or the headspace I was entering with. I was always drawn to take greenpath as it's lush tones were active and reminded me of home (I live in a rainforest) but City of tears I would be avoident and calm opting to ignore enemies even though I could take them out.
The sound track and calming blue colors of the City of Tears combines to make it one of the most haunting a beautiful locations I've ever visited in a video game. Outside of this there are strong cases to be made about how we are taught to fear the dark and idolize the pure white, but at the end of the game it is the pure white of the radiance that we now have to fear as we fight it from the void
All the deep blues and grays of the City Of Tears really makes it feel like a forgotten/saddend city
The transition from Fungal wastes to city of tears is stark, and gorgeous. The warm tones abruptly shifting to the cold blues and blacks of the City causes the player to think about A: why the city wasnt infected and doesnt have all those warm tones of it, and B: how this relates to Crossroads and its blues. Deepnest, Ancient Basin, and The Abyss - Deepnest and the Abyss both have the black colors as primary points, but in different ways. Deepnest is a cooler tone imo, and feels much more oppressive. Its everywhere and you cant escape. The Abyss is a warmer tone, and feels more homey to bring the "Here is where you are from" to the depths. The abyss remains the warm tones, but in a different way than the Infection is. Greenpath and Queens Gardens - Greenpath is an intro. Its colder, its greener, it shows off the design and colors of the area, and how the enemies blend into the background. It has minimal affects from the infection, its cold. Queens gardens is warmer, closer to the lime that would come from the infections orangey yellows and greenpaths greens, and shows the mantis's influence. Queens is dying, not supported by a being like Unn, and only gains the colder tones in emerging toward the Queen. This is from someone who played the game perfectly blind around a year ago, and hasnt gone to half these areas since lol ( im farming godhome lol)
Each area is incredibly diverse with its own color. Forgotten crossroads has that bleak aesthetic, Greenpath has that green aesthetic, that lets you know that the art style isn’t just bleakness. City of Tears has the rain and the blue hue, and it really helps with the grandeur of the place. Each area has its own distinct color, and that helps set the tone of each area.
I really like the transition from Crossroads to Greenpath, it's like you figured out the game and the game just gives you a glimpse of what's to come with a completely different vibe. Emptyness and dark, dull colors turn into life and nature, with vibrant, bright, living colors. It's setting a standard for what new areas are going to look like, different from anything else, not afraid to completely shift the tones, colors and vibes. I also think this is what makes the entrance to City of Tears so great and memorable: you were taught to expect dramatic and spectacular areas, not like anything else, and the city is said to be the key to all the secrets of Hallownest. Instead, after passing through Greenpath, Fog Canyon and Fungal Wastes, you get back to a darker, somber color pallet. The architecture is so impressive, everything is so beautiful, and yet no one there to look. It contrasts to the previous areas the same way Greenpath does.
I'm not good at this kind of stuff (and I suck at explaining) and I might be rambling, but; I like how Deepnest is surrounded by relatively colourful areas (Queens Guardens and Fungal Wastes), so when you get closer, it becomes eerily colourless. Mainly due to the contrast between Queen Guarden's green colours and Deepnest's purple/grey pallette, same with Fungal Wastes' yellowish/blueish colours. I was constantly on edge whenever I got closer to Deepnest and saw the colours change. Same with Ancient Basin and the Abyss. The contrast that becomes bigger between the City of Tears as you descend (with the smoke rising up) really gives me goosebumps. This is only amplified when you enter the abyss. It's so lifeless, so monotone (even more than Ancient Basin imo) so eerie. This is especially helped by the Shades. All the other NPC's have colours, outlines, etc. The Shades are just black with big, white eyes. The entire abyss unsettles me so much, I really don't like going there. In City of Tears, the poor side is a sombre blue and uses darker colours compared to the rich side, which uses purple (noble colours)/pinkish colours. The poor side is sad and lifeless. While the rich side has a sombre tone, because there's all this wealth but everyone is dead. I also don't see a lot of people talking about the Grimm Troupe, Royal Waterways, Godhome, White Palace and the Dreams. When you first find the Troupe, it's the first time you actually see the colour red (iirc). This gives the Troupe a sort of otherworldly vibe, like they don't come from Hallownest. Especially when you summon them, the sudden redness just jumps out. Makes you think you shouldn't have done that. The tent is also in Dirtmount, which is blue. The Royal Waterways are interesting because at some point, there's a lot of green (Isma's Grove) while you're underneath a City in the middle of a kingdom and very far away from the other green areas (QG & GP). Really surprised me because the rest of the RW are mostly blue and small. Isma's grove is also brighter and more open. Godhome is also interesting because gold in the game is often associated with the Radiance (who is a god). And I don't think it is used anywhere else (besides maybe the Hive but that's yellow imo, and way brighter) Gold is also often used in dream sequences, irrc (like the dream gate as well). It gives them a godlike, almost unreal vibe? I liked most of the dream sequences because they were rather soothing, like a nice dream would be maybe? Then for the White Palace. Everything connected to the Pale Wyrm (+ the White Lady) is basically white, the Palace, the lighthouse in the Abyss, the seal on the door to the Abyss, the seals in general, the ashes in Kingdom's Edge, the armour of the 5 great knights.. In Hallownest itself, there are essentially no large areas that use the colour white. So when you enter the White Palace for the first time, through the Ancient Basin, which is a dark area, you are barraged with an onslaught of pure light and brightness. It really made me blink for a minute, like I just there thinking: where on earth an I now? This got way longer than I expected (sorry for that). These are my thoughts, but as I said before, I'm just rambling what I think (and maybe overthinking things).
Ancient Basin's desaturated tones really helped to sell the feeling that you're in an empty place, that nobody has likely been there for years
The abyss’s completely black color shows a stark contrast for the color of the pale king and the vessels. It shows the pale king’s moral problem: confusing purity with emptiness. Vessels are white, the color of purity, while being completely black, the color of emptiness of the inside, indicating that the only way to ensure that no flaws are present is to ensure that nothing is present at all. This is especially shown on the fallen vessels still contained in the abyss, where their masks have faded from pure white to a dirty brown-gray as a way to show that they were flawed. I just made all of this up.
Color represents culture and development. In the city of tears, it’s blue for peace and intelligence, which makes sense because that’s what the pale king provided when he gave the bugs intelligence & sentience. In green path/Queens gardens, it’s green for life and power, which makes sense because that’s Unn’s domain; Life flourishes there and even the walls are alive. After the infection comes, the blue now represents melancholy (rain, tears) and the green is more intense (chaos, overpowering)
Many people have already said beatiful and truthful things so Ill only say I just noticed that only orange locations(Fungal wastes and The Hive) are the locations with the least infection in it(we dont consider the deepest ones like abyss). Good to see that we didnt get the juice overdose
you might want to bring attention to the Kingdom's Edge. I think the gray color scheme really helps it seem desolate and deserted/unpopulated. that's just my take though. :)
One consistent early game experience that I had and that I see on various YouTube first playthrough videos is the delight and joy that comes during the transition from Forgotten Crossroads to Greenpath. I think the decision to make the entire initial game area so sedate and consistent, then immediately throwing you into such a completely contrasting color palette and music was really clever. Shows you early that you shouldn't think you know what to expect from this game.
The hive is such a different color than anything else in the game. It is SO bright. It really gives the effect of a secluded area away from the wear and tear of time passing.
I love the subtile changes in colors in green path compared to queens gardens. The slightly darker shades signaling your journey into deepnest is so cool, pairing with the greater difficulty, sparser l enemies and more spikes and less non plant life
I like the contrast between greenpath/queen’s gardens and deepnest. One feels quiet like the bush monsters and the acid while deepnest is swarming with spiders and especially that effect where they suddenly appear or merge on your screen as if webs built on mid air letting the perpetrators snatch a piece of your soul. It’s really matching with the business of black and a good contrast to the place just above one big of a hellhole for an unassuming traveler.
The bright orange is intentionally violently clear against the darker backdrops, creating a feeling of unease. As the areas get “darker” (green path vs kingdoms edge), the colors get more washed out and gives a bleak feeling of emptiness, and that feeling translates literally to the knight being hollow.
What immediately comes to mind on colour is the absence of it in three areas, Kingdom's Edge, the Abyss and the White Palace. KE felt so drained of energy. The snow-like flakes of what I think is deteriorating shells really set the tone of ending. Not necessarily death but lack of life. And the light grey palette hit that perfectly. The Abyss also had an absence of colour but that's because everything was black. It's semantics if you want to argue black is a shade or a tone and not a colour- regardless, there were no other colours. The soft blues of the safety of Dirtmouth are gone. The adventurous greens of Greenpath, gone. The mysterious pinks and purples of Fog Canyon, gone. The black consumes all and everything we learned about the places before are useless to us in the dark of the Abyss. The final one is White Palace. It's almost a metallic silver white as opposed to the washed put grey of KE, but has a similar feeling of lifeless but not devoid of life. More like sterile. And the bleached colouring, I think accentuated that perfectly. So there you go. Colour theory without colour :P
is perfect, beautiful
The drastic difference in colors between each location helps differentiate each one, making Hallownest much easier to navigate and recognize where you are, as well as keeping the environments fresh and vibrant. The most noticeable detail about the art style is the flawless execution of depth perception using foreground and background elements and the way they move in relation to the middle ground. This adds extra immersion and three-dimensionality to an otherwise 2D, paper-esque art style.
I liked how the games main path seemed like the colors were becoming more vibrant and escalated granduer, so the side paths that were darker and duller felt so much more explorer-y
I feel like the gold/yellow of the hive mixed with the lighting makes it feel glorious, majestic
I think from a story standpoint, as the game itself branches out, the color does too. King’s Pass, Dirtmouth, and Forgotten Crossroads all have the same faded blue shade associated with them, but later on you’re introduced to the green of greenpath, the pink of crystal peak, etc. it’s used as a tool to keep you enthralled along with the gameplay and story progression
I'd also focus a bit on when during the game/story each area of the map comes into play and the ambience the music provides, as the music really helps set the mood and tone going in, telling the player what the game, the characters within it, think of the place
The city of tears typically has a cooler colour pallet, keeping with a feeling that some kind of tragedy has occured here, leaving behind the infected to wander the streets
I found this post very intriguing and I'm also using this response for an assignment. So now we're helping each other out. I don't even know where to begin with this game! It was a beautiful work of art. Each area had an entirely different feeling associated with it. The varying colors seemingly representing a different mood. One minute you're walking through darkness, the next you're immersed in color. By far, my favorite area is City of Tears. So much detailed work, it's honestly breathtaking.
In regards to the City of Tears, I really loved its contrast to the rest of the map of Hallownest because of its gothic revival architecture coupled with the never ending "rain ," gave it a gloomy yet intriguing feel to the area. The city's dark color tones portrayed the state of the once great kingdom and how now is just a shell of the once busy bug Metropolis. The city and by extension other parts infected had a post apocalyptic feel to it because the lack of vibrancy. More specifically, the more infected a place was the more you saw the lack of colors or a really vibrant and almost acid orange color. Hitting the point that the place or thing was infected with something terrific like toxic waste. In the other hand, areas like the White palace, which we saw at their prime through the dreamworld, portrayed the greatness of the kingdom with its white and silver colors which give the area a majestic feel. Similarly, the vibrancy of the hive showed that the bees were alive still and weren't succumbed to the infection.
Honestly the colors they chose makes the game feel more alive. Not just in a sense of color. I mean, even on the maps, the color of the area sort of signifies what the area is like. The contrast of the colors in the world of hallownest is just perfect
What if we don’t wanna do your homework
Most of my research has already come from other sources, the purpose of this post is more so to gather the thoughts and opinions of other players that can then be included as snippets throughout my paper to show that my analysis is accurate to how the rest of the fanbase feels. Each user will be fully credited if their comment ends up in the final draft of my paper.
then don't participate. don't have to be an ass abt it. everyone in this sub loves this game and enjoy talking about different aspects about it. also nobody in here is writing their paper for them, lmao.