The creative side of a game is one of the most important aspects of its identity and uniqueness. Many gamers consider buying a game not only due to its gameplay possibilities but also due to amazing graphics, impressive environments, and impactful art direction. Therefore, appealing to an audience through the right aesthetics can be challenging for professionals in such fields but also incredibly gratifying.
In Codyfight, just like in any other game, its visual side is one of the most important elements of the project. The creative department works hand in hand with the rest of the team to create a high-quality product that moves players and appeals to their emotions. The role of the creatives alongside game designers is usually perceived as a locked door that every player wants to take a peek in. Through this article, we will be making a small hole in that imponent gate, so you can get an idea of what their everyday work looks like and what are the biggest struggles when developing designs and in-game aesthetics.
Aivaras Skrodenis and Jonas Balkevicius are the creative folks behind the locked chamber that hides the art direction of Codyfight. While Aivaras is usually more focused on graphic design and marketing, Jonas is in charge of the visual aspect of the game, including characters, environments and so much more. Even though they are members of the same department, their everyday work differs a lot.
Aivaras’ key aspect is communication. His work is held in the powerful walls of marketing and his creative muscle is in action in the labyrinth of social media. In the social maze, visuals are not only a fancy way to promote events but an inherent part of appealing to an audience. Codyfight needs to be understood by a broad community of players, from common gamers to highly skilled developers, and Aivaras holds the weight in expanding that message in the labyrinth,
“I usually work hand in hand with the marketing department. I am in charge of social media visuals but also do other creative tasks like animations and minor in-game designs. I feel most comfortable in marketing as it has allowed me to expand on my design knowledge. There are new challenges every week, and I usually mold myself into them”.
Aivaras eye-catching posts are seen by a wide variety of users from different parts of the world. In fact, the first thing that they will see when they come across Codyfight ‘s social media presence is Aivaras’ high-quality designs. His work is hectic, dynamic, and requires research and plenty of planning,
“My process is very linked to the daily marketing communication so I usually follow some guidelines and then apply my spark to the designs. I usually ask to get all the visuals needed a week in advance so I can have some time to plan and research. I seek inspiration from movies, video games, and various types of media and finally do the designs. The last step is to get approval from the rest of the department”.
Jonas’ work, however, differs from Aivaras’. He is in direct contact with multiple departments, especially the UI/UX design as well as the developers. This makes his work more demanding and allows a flow of communication with different team members. His instinctive creative nature makes him a very sharp professional and allows him to shape the stream of ideas from the different departments into a solid and very distinctive product,
“I usually work with different departments depending on the priorities of the team. This can be a challenging process, as you get demanded on very different projects. However, I always enjoy stepping outside of my comfort zone and learning with the different tasks I embarked on. I feel that as an artist, you never stop learning”.
In the same way, Jonas gets brought outside of his comfort zone in Codyfight, Aivaras experiences something similar in that social media labyrinth,
“My work allows me to experiment with new things every day. For example, lately, I have been dedicated to making animations, something that I did not have a lot of experience in before. In my previous job, I usually did not have opportunities to discover new things and exercise my creativity. Now I feel like I am growing, especially working alongside a team”.
Codyfight is a project that does not restrict the creative muscle of their team, and this is especially palpable in their creative peers. That’s why Jonas and Aivaras are usually encouraged to get experimental and work on the things they are most interested in. This can include Jonas making occasional posts for social media or Aivaras working on game design and events for the community. That’s the beauty of freedom, allowing employees to compromise with ideas and concepts they enjoy. As the head of the creative department, Jonas feels in some way this freedom from jumping between departments and projects, delivering and making creative decisions on the game, and experiencing new challenges,
“I am in charge of the art direction of Codyfight and I can experiment with different things and especially have a real impact on the game. Not everything is great of course, I often feel challenged in some of my tasks but that’s the only thing that allows me to grow and not get stuck in just one thing”.
When asking Jonas what he feels more proud of in terms of his direction on Codyfight, he mentions that game design was a big struggle but also one of the best accomplishments since he started working for the enterprise,
“One of the things that I am most proud of is the aesthetics of the game. When I arrived on the team, I had to make a 360 on the art direction and that was a challenge. But I enjoyed the process a lot and now looking back at it, I can see how much everything has changed and the improvements can be spotted by our team and by the community. But we are still working on the art direction, so the game will surely be empowered with new ideas and a better style. You can expect an upgrade on our visuals, more Special Agents, more tiles, and more Codyfighters”.
That’s a wrap up for our creative peers. Tune in on our social media to check out their amazing designs.
Socials:
Website | Twitter | Telegram ANN | Telegram Community | Medium | Discord | Instagram | Facebook
