Heya Pals,

In this style analysis video, I'm covering the distinct ways topdown games control visual features like contrast and noise to achieve aesthetically pleasing and readable styles, focusing on environments.

Also, this features the return of my tutorial segment, for those of you who like to follow along :)

If you're interested, I'd be happy to go into more detail about buildings, objects, characters in this style in future videos. Let me know!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:27 Analysis Overview
07:39 The Role of Contrast
11:25 Preserving Interest without Contrast
14:00 Preserving Style without Palettes
18:00 Eastward Example
20:24 Environment Practice Tutorial
20:41 Terrain Draft
29:14 Terrain Details
30:52 Buildings
37:41 Tree Texture Details
42:56 Outro

Music: MeowMeow & BowWow Dj CUTMAN

Screenshot Credits (right to left, top to bottom):
Final Fantasy (Squaresoft)
Secret of Mana (Squaresoft)
Chrono Trigger (Squaresoft)

Pokemon Blue (Gamefreak, Nintendo)
LoZ A Link to the Past (Nintendo)
Stardew Valley (@ConcernedApe)
Original art (@NostalgiaTree)
Battle Axe (@pixelhenk)

Original art by (@Namatnieks)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (Spike Chunsoft)
Zenonia (Gamevil)

Cadence of Hyrule (@BYG_Vancouver)
Moonlighter (@DigitalSunGames)
Eastward (@pixpilgames)
Eldest Souls (@Fallen_Flag, art by @yes_i_do_pixels)
Hyper Light Drifter (@HeartMachineZ)

Garden Story (by @picogram_art)



This video features clips from my stream. Catch it live: Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri 16pm AEST.

Twitch:   / adamcyounis  
Twitter:   / adamcyounis  
Discord:   / discord  
Become a Patron at   / adamcyounis  
Download assets and games from the stream at http://upponhill.itch.io/

Later, pals!