Inkyway Galaxy

Industry

Game

Client

Studio 828

Service

Lead Artist

Date

March 2024

Project Description

Inkyway Galaxy: Takoyu Rescue! is an award-winning, casual, cooperative, top-down shoot ’em-up inspired by classic arcade games. With 2D, hand-drawn graphics, the game combines nostalgic gameplay with modern aesthetics. As Lead Artist, I oversaw the visual direction, creating concept art, character sprites, animations, and motion for various in-game elements. A central focus was designing cute and marketable characters that resonated with the target audience, supporting both gameplay and brand identity.

Goals & Constraints:

Create visually appealing characters and assets that enhance player
engagement and support the game’s tone.
Maintain a cohesive visual style across all assets to strengthen the game’s branding.
Ensure designs were adaptable to technical constraints (e.g., sprite limitations, animation frames)
without compromising visual quality.
Design characters with potential marketability for merchandise and promotional materials.

Strategy

Developed a strong visual language through concept art, mood boards,
and color palettes to guide the team.
Iteratively designed and animated characters, balancing cuteness, clarity, and gameplay readability.
Collaborated closely with developers to ensure assets aligned with technical
requirements and gameplay mechanics.
Focused on creating iconic and recognizable characters that could serve as visual touchpoints for the game’s brand.

Inkyway Galaxy Word Art Logo

Inkyway Galaxy Character Art

Character Concept Art

Inkyway Galaxy Social Media

Mockups and UI test

The Art of Inkyway Galaxy Book

Inkyway Galaxy Motion Graphic for Title Screen

Villain Concept Art

Key Takeaways / Outcomes

Learned to translate artistic vision into cohesive, marketable visual assets that support both product and brand identity.
Gained experience in designing within constraints while maintaining aesthetic appeal—a key skill in graphic design projects.
Strengthened collaboration and communication skills across multidisciplinary teams, bridging art and development.
Produced character and environmental assets that contributed to the game winning awards and establishing a distinct visual identity.

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