top of page

A Minor Shrine

Proj 6 White Light 1_edited.jpg

Program: Unreal Engine 4

Engine Assets: Starter Content and Infinity Blade Grasslands

Time Spent: 1.5 weeks

Completed: March 11, 2022

​

For my final project in my Color Theory course, I was asked to explore the effects of color on the viewer's psychology. I chose to do so by creating an environment for a video game and then changing the environment's mood by changing the color of its light. I began by researching color design in video games. I then designed a small dungeon room that the player might find while exploring

I chose to make a shrine room rather than a puzzle or treasure room because shrines (in video games and in real life) can have any number of emotional effects on the viewer, from peaceful to ominous. I kept the mood of the base room relatively neutral, and I chose to use mainly neutral colors in its design so that the changing color of the light would more greatly affect its appearance.

The images below show the base room, lit only with white light. The room feels warm and pleasant. The player would likely see this room as a place to rest and heal after battle.

Proj 6 White Light 1_edited.jpg
Proj 6 White Light 1_edited.jpg
Proj 6 White Light 1_edited.jpg
Proj 6 White Light 1_edited.jpg

For my first color change, I chose blue. The room still feels peaceful, but the mood is significantly more somber and mournful.  The player would likely perceive that this is a shrine for contemplation. They might rest here, but they likely would not stay long.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 3_29_21 PM.png

Increasing the saturation of the blue deepens the sense of melancholy while also removing the peacefulness from before. The player would likely feel that this room is filled with an ancient magic.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 3_34_32 PM.png

Changing the light to red transforms this serene room into a more threatening environment. The player would likely expect this room to contain a trap or puzzle to challenge their skills.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 3_40_44 PM.png

Yellow-green light casts a sickly atmosphere over the room.  The player would likely feel repulsed by the color and would not stay long in the room.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 4_44_58 PM.png

Changing the light to violet makes the room feel more magical. The player would likely expect there to be some kind of benevolent magic in this room.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 5_07_11 PM.png

Increasing the saturation of the violet also intensifies the sense that this room is filled with a powerful magic, though whether that magic is benevolent or not is no longer as clear. The player would likely expect there to be a fascinating artifact or piece of lore hidden in here.

Experiment Preview [NetMode_ Standalone] (64-bit_Windows) 3_5_2022 3_55_14 PM.png

Doing this project gave me a new appreciation for the use of color in video games and how colors are used to communicate information to the player about the kind of environment they are in. I hope to use my newfound knowledge to improve the environments I design from now on!

bottom of page