0.01 Welcome

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Hi there, and welcome! I’ve created this blog to document my progress throughout my honours research project, which explores the visual design strategies behind cosy games. It might be helpful to think of this as a development diary.

Cosy games offer something special: a sense of safety, calm, and nostalgia, and while their appeal is growing rapidly, many of us - players, designers, and researchers alike - are still figuring out what exactly makes a game feel cosy, and how we can intentionally design for that feeling.

How do colours, textures, lighting, and space come together to create a feeling of comfort? How can developers intentionally design a game world that feels safe, nostalgic, and emotionally rich? And perhaps most importantly, what even is a cosy game?

Through this blog, I’ll be sharing insights from my research into how elements like colour palettes, lighting, textures, and spatial layout work together to create the emotionally rich environments that define the genre.

At the heart of this blog is a central question I explore in my research:

What visual design strategies can be applied in the creation of a cosy game environment that supports the design goals of cosy games?

As I move through each stage of the research, I’ll use this blog to:

  • Share reflections and challenges

  • Showcase examples and inspirations

  • Break down findings

This blog serves as a personal archive, and additional documentation.

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2.03 - Progression Shots / Reflect

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  - greybox imported from Maya in Unreal Engine 5.4.4 - Basic 3D assets imported to test scale and loaction; lighthouse added to create verticality, - Some colour implemented to test how the colour effects the size of the space. Roof stretches across the starcase to enclose the space. - More colour added in teh scene to test how the colour reflects the spatial layout. Layout Strategy Why Centralised Focal Point -           Draws the players eyes towards a meaningful location -           Reinforces a sense of orientation -           Creates a “home base“ effect, enhancing feelings of safety and belonging. Layered Verticality -           Multiple elevation levels introduce visual interest -       ...
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1.04 Colour Palette Analysis

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  The colours chosen in the final concept pieces reflect cosiness. The overall colours of the environment are cooler toned, but warmer neutral and greens are also focal points of the environment.  I experimented with a variety of palettes but found that this combination of colours worked best for portraying a sense of cosiness. Other combinations felt jarring, but I found that these pieces held an intrinsic charm that the others didn't have. Initially I thought that purely warm tones would likely be what I would need to create a cosy vibe, but through my colour exploration I found that certain cool tones can still be comforting when well placed and balanced.  The warmer accent colours, such as the oranges and reds in the house and the orange toned earth are made to draw the attention of the player rather than overwhelming a player. Since cosiness often draws upon the enjoyment of small, simple moments I found that this was the most effective way to create cosiness through...
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3.01 Implementation and Polish ACT

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 Plan - The goal of this cycle is to enhance the overall cosy atmosphere of the environment by polishing the visual elements and adding the final touches to the environment. This will be done by: - Adding movement to the environment; eg, wind in the foliage, slow movement in the water. - Updating the skybox to better reflect the intended mood of the environment and tone. - Adding proper lighting to the scene for warmth, using soft shadows and ambient glowing.  - additional environmental assets to add "clutter" that makes it feel more lived in. Additionally, Audio will be added to the environment. This is because sound can bring an environment to life, despite not being a visual element.  Act -
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