Dev Take Tuesday - Black Panther and Clarity

I finally got the chance to see Black Panther on the big screen this past week—what an unforgettable experience! I loved the cast, characters, themes, music, and war-rhinos. If I hadn’t already touched on villains in a previous Dev Take, I’d probably discuss Black Panther’s charismatic antagonist, Erik Killmonger (played by Michael B. Jordan). But there was another aspect of the film that stuck out to me as a game developer: the use of color for clarity.

Visually, the stand-out feature of Black Panther is the vast and vibrant array of colors on the screen. While other films I love, such as Zhang Yimou’s Hero, utilize bold monochromatic tones to convey mood, Black Panther uses many colors simply for the sheer joy of seeing a veritable rainbow on screen. Importantly, however, careful use of color keeps the audience clear on what’s happening. The distinct color schemes of Wakanda’s tribes help the audience sort through the politics at play throughout the story, and in the film’s climactic action sequence the crimson armor of the Dora Milaje contrasts perfectly with the enemy’s blue uniforms.

Gif found here on Gizmodo

From a game development standpoint, complexity often competes with clarity as you try to design games that will challenge your players. Every little step you take in development to add clarity is essential. You can greatly ease the burden on your players by using different colors in character design and assigning distinct color schemes for your game narrative’s various factions. For example, in our game Alkanaur the nine cities will all utilize fairly disparate colors and metals in their architecture and dress. Not only will those little steps make our game easier to follow, but the resulting rainbow on screen will (hopefully) visually impress our players as well.