Game design atlas

Core loop

1. 01Inspect prerequisites
2. 02Allocate points
3. 03Try the combination
4. 04Revise the route

Growth and inheritanceOne rule

Skill prerequisites and routes

Buy an immediately useful skill or invest in a route toward a later combination?

Reference gamesPath of Exile · Grim Dawn

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Core loop

1. 01Choose a condition
2. 02Play the familiar rules
3. 03Check evidence
4. 04Attempt another skill

Growth and inheritanceOne rule

Mastery challenges

Secure a consistent clear or attempt a timed/low-resource mastery condition?

Reference gamesHades · Neon White

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Core loop

1. 01Assess current abilities
2. 02Preview refund/fee
3. 03Confirm reassignment
4. 04Compare on the same challenge

Growth and inheritanceOne rule

Respecialization and experimentation cost

Repair the current combination or pay to rebuild for a new challenge?

Reference gamesGrim Dawn · Hades

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Core loop

1. 01Learn by producing manually
2. 02Save unlock resources
3. 03Enable automation
4. 04Manage the next decision

Idle and incrementalOne rule

Automation unlocks

Buy immediate output or save for equipment that removes repeated input?

Reference gamesUniversal Paperclips · A Dark Room

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Core loop

1. 01Read the cost curve
2. 02Compare batches/payback
3. 03Buy producers
4. 04Recompute marginal returns

Idle and incrementalOne rule

Rising costs and bulk purchases

Buy a few now for income or save for a batch that crosses a quantity milestone?

Reference gamesAdVenture Capitalist · Universal Paperclips

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Core loop

1. 01Produce intermediates
2. 02Convert under rules
3. 03Replenish inputs
4. 04Reinvest the surplus

Idle and incrementalLinked states

Conversion and reinvestment

Convert all output toward upgrades or reserve enough inputs for the next cycle?

Reference gamesUniversal Paperclips · Kittens Game

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Core loop

1. 01Identify team needs
2. 02Take a shared tool
3. 03Finish and hand off
4. 04Redistribute positions

Cooperation and rolesOne rule

Shared tools and handoffs

Keep working with the tool or hand it to someone closer to the next job?

Reference gamesUnrailed! · Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

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Core loop

1. 01Signal a downed teammate
2. 02Assess threats
3. 03Approach and sustain rescue
4. 04Restore team agency

Cooperation and rolesOne rule

Revival commitments and risk

Risk an immediate rescue or control threats and wait for a safer window?

Reference gamesDeep Rock Galactic · Hunt: Showdown 1896

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Core loop

1. 01Agree on grip positions
2. 02Move and turn together
3. 03Adjust to obstacles
4. 04Reach the goal together

Cooperation and rolesOne rule

Joint carrying and alignment

Turn together while connected or release and regrip to pass a narrow obstacle?

Reference gamesHeave Ho · Moving Out

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Core loop

1. 01Read value and presence
2. 02Commit limited pieces
3. 03Observe responses
4. 04Score majorities on schedule

Competition and bargainingOne rule

Area majority and spreading investment

Defend a valuable lead or spread into neglected smaller areas?

Reference gamesEl Grande · Carcassonne: Inns & Cathedrals

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Core loop

1. 01Read private information
2. 02Claim an action/count
3. 03Accept or challenge
4. 04Reveal evidence and resolve

Competition and bargainingOne rule

Bluffing and challenges

Accept the claim or challenge based on known information and behavior?

Reference gamesCoup · Perudo

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Core loop

1. 01Value the lot
2. 02Bid or withdraw
3. 03Confirm the winner
4. 04Pay and advance

Competition and bargainingOne rule

Open bidding and withdrawal

Raise to win this item or withdraw to save for a better-fitting later lot?

Reference gamesModern Art · For Sale!

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Art styles

Voxel

Small volumetric cubes build forms with stepped outlines. Consistent scale and readable large shapes matter more than dividing every surface into extra blocks.

See the traits

• A coherent cube scale connects near objects, distant objects and characters
• Large color groups separate walkable tops, sides and hazards before details
• Light may be soft while outlines retain their cubic steps
• Check occlusion from the chosen camera so foreground blocks do not hide a landing

Reference gamesBonfire Peaks · Teardown

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Art styles

Monochrome silhouette

Value and outline explain space before a few fog layers add distance. With very few colors, the character, usable edges and hazards must still be instantly distinct.

See the traits

• Separate characters and interactive ground by value so black forms do not merge
• Distant layers tend to be lighter; depth comes from grouping rather than surface pattern
• Hazards differ in shape as well as color
• Lighting and fog support navigation while important landing edges stay visible

Reference gamesLIMBO · BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition

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Art styles

Rubber-hose cartoon

Soft curved limbs and exaggerated poses let a character bend like a rubber hose. Motion rhythm and silhouette define the style; black and white is only one palette choice.

See the traits

• Joints may disappear while movement direction and contact points stay clear
• Anticipation leads into an exaggerated action and a readable settling pose
• A rich painted backdrop leaves key character poses as simple large shapes
• Film grain stays subtle and never flickers over text, hit areas or warnings

Reference gamesCuphead · MOUSE: P.I. For Hire

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Art styles

Comic halftone

Ink contours, solid color groups and regular printed dots build an interactive comic image. Dots handle tone; panel-like framing and motion marks emphasize events without hiding rules.

See the traits

• Contours separate character and scenery before dots add selected midtones
• Dot size is designed for the final display so thumbnails avoid distracting moire
• Motion strokes, framing and impact shapes highlight events rather than filling every moment
• Text and interaction markers sit on clean areas away from shaded texture

Reference gamesVoid Bastards · XIII - Classic

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Art styles

Pixel

Aligned color blocks and a small palette explain the character, the ground, and the danger. Clarity comes from silhouettes and a few keyframes, not from tiny brushwork.

See the traits

• The outline is readable before the details, even on a small screen
• Shadows are usually a deeper step of the same hue
• A few keyframes, flashes, and landing dust matter more than gradients
• A pixel grid makes footing and collisions look honest

Reference gamesCeleste · Hyper Light Drifter

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Art styles

Low poly

Volume is built from a few flat faces. Each face has one color, light is the difference between faces, and edges stay faceted.

See the traits

• Allocate faces to the main silhouette and keep a consistent simplification near and far
• A highlight can be a brighter face rather than a soft glow
• Without textures, routes and large landforms stay clear
• Hills, trees, and buildings can be generated by rules

Reference gamesASTRONEER · AER Memories of Old

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Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.