Color is one of the most powerful tools in a game designer’s toolkit. It influences storytelling, sets the emotional tone, shapes player experience, and ensures accessibility. A horror game might rely on muted grays with dramatic reds, while an educational game for children could be filled with bold, cheerful primary colors. Mastering color theory and building a deliberate color story can elevate a game from good to unforgettable…

How We See Color

While color perception can be subjective, designers rely on standard systems to create consistent visual experiences across different platforms. Here is some key color models used in digital and physical media:

• RGB (Red, Green, Blue): The foundation for most digital displays. RGB combines red, green, and blue light to produce a wide spectrum of colors.
• sRGB: A common subset of RGB used in consumer screens and the web. It balances color accuracy and compatibility across devices.
• Rec. 709: An RGB-based color space used in HDTV. Though it is becoming less common, it was once the standard for broadcasting.
• Rec. 2020: A modern standard for 4K and 8K Ultra HD, supporting a broader color gamut for richer, more vivid visuals.
• CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black): Used in print. Unlike RGB, CMYK is a subtractive model—colors are created by removing light.
• RYB (Red, Yellow, Blue): A traditional model used in art and painting. Though less precise than modern systems, it remains foundational in artistic color theory.

Color isn’t Just Decoration, It Serves Multiple Functions in Game Design

Game designers use color theory to evoke emotions, guide players, and enhance their overall experience. The process involves selecting a color palette that aligns with a game’s theme, setting, and narrative. Here’s how color impacts different aspects of game design:

1. Storytelling and Atmosphere

Color can set the tone for a game’s story and environment. By crafting an intentional color story, designers can subconsciously guide players’ emotions and reactions, making their experiences more memorable and immersive.

2. User Interface (UI) and Player Experience

Color guides the player’s eye and communicates vital information. Health bars, warnings, and menu highlights rely on intuitive color cues. For example, green often signals safety or success, while red indicates danger or loss.

Designers should also consider readability and contrast to ensure that all players can quickly and easily move through the necessary functions of their interface.

3. Color for Consistency and Cues

Color contributes to a game’s visual language. When used consistently, it teaches players what to expect. For example, a glowing blue door might always signify a portal, regardless of where it appears in the world.

Maintaining color consistency also improves cross-platform compatibility. Tools like color grading and real-time color previews help maintain design intent across devices

Color for Constructing a Vibe

The colors used in a game’s world have a huge impact on what will become its ultimate look and feel. A survival horror game might employ desaturated, muted colors to create tension, while a retro platform or arcade style game could use bright, saturated hues to generate a sense of fun and excitement.

Game designers use color grading, lighting effects, and saturation adjustments to enhance a game’s tone and make environments feel more alive. Color can also serve a symbolic or narrative purpose that can be used and reused throughout a game.

Cultural Corner: Differences in Color Meaning

Different cultures interpret colors in unique ways, which can impact game localization and design decisions. In many western cultures, red is considered a very passionate color and is sometimes associated with danger, such as in hazard signage. However, in parts of southeast Asia, red is an auspicious color associated with good luck and even religious observance.

Understanding cultural differences in color perceptions can be vital when designing games for a global audience. Note that even in English, spelling of the word “colour” can be different in different countries. For the purposes of this article, we’ve defaulted to American English spelling conventions.

Accessibility Considerations in Game Design

Not everyone experiences color the same way. Color vision deficiencies (commonly known as color blindness) affect a significant portion of the population, and that color blindness can exist on a spectrum—from having difficulty perceiving certain wavelengths of color like red, to barely being able to perceive any color at all. An optimal user interface keeps these kinds of users in mind when creating color stories for a game.

Some strategies for making games more accessible include using contrasting patterns and colors to convey important information or to highlight functional game features. You can also build a “colorblind mode” into your games to make them more accessible to those with vision differences. A more readable game makes for more fluid gameplay for all players, not just those who need accommodations.

Color can be an invaluable tool to creators and artists in game design—it can help you shape mood and storytelling, crafting a more visually immersive game. But it is also an important feature to consider for the effectiveness of your user interface and game accessibility. By understanding color theory, game designers can engage in better world-building and create a more memorable, more fun gaming experience.

Want to dive deeper into emotionally resonant game art?
Check out this session with Cecil Kim, where he shares techniques to build powerful emotional connections through environment concept art.