Video games are meant to be fun, engaging, and entertaining, but did you know they are also responsible for some of the most unique designs out there? In fact, the game’s design can be all it takes to attract players and have them hooked, as many see the actual gameplay as a secondary feature. And just like design in other categories, games too have their own design trends that come and go. They can help to dictate where the industry is heading and what games are poised to be huge hits.
Curious as to what the game design trends are for 2021? Let’s take a closer look.
Virtual Reality Continues to Push Forward
This is a design trend that isn’t unique to 2021; instead, it is a continuation of an ongoing trend. When virtual reality was first introduced so many years ago, it didn’t necessarily take off. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that it wasn’t accessible to the average person. Fast forward to today, and developers are pushing to design virtual reality games that can be played on your home console. While we aren’t quite there yet, this is a trend that will push forward and deserves attention.
The Traditional Las Vegas Casino Vibe
For anyone who has ever visited a casino in person, you know just how unique that atmosphere is. It’s meant to fill you with energy and enthusiasm, and get you hooked on the gaming element. That same notion has been applied to the design of the online casinos that strive to give players the traditional Las Vegas vibe right in their own homes. The goal is to create as authentic an experience as possible, and this is being achieved through graphics, sounds, layout, features, and functionality. You can check out sites like Spin online casino for a look at some of the hottest games of 2021 – it’s clear that the Las Vegas vibe is the inspiration.
An Emotional Feeling or Attachment to the Design
Here’s another design concept that is proving to be big in 2021 and that is to design a game that has an emotional appeal to players. The idea is that the design somehow triggers emotions, and can then prompt the players to want to not only try the game, but stick with it. It’s being referred to as ‘feeling first’ design wherein designers are aiming for emotional responses. It’s an interesting concept and it could be a way for some developers to stand out in the crowd and get some traction for their game.
A Minimalistic Approach
Then we have the design trend of a more minimalistic approach. For quite some time now, games have been getting more and more high-tech, which can often result in busy and cluttered screens. Designers are now looking for ways to take away all that ‘noise’ if you will, and adhere to a more minimalistic design approach. It’s clean, simple, modern, and fresh feeling.
As you can see, there are plenty of game design trends that are proving big for 2021.