Whether you are a 3D or a 2D artist, creating characters that players can connect with is essential for any game designer. Designers can build a way to touch players’ feelings and thoughts. When players find a way to connect the characters in a game, they become more invested in the game itself. It leads players to a more immersive and enjoyable experience. But as a designer, how can you create characters that players connect with? Here our 5 essential tips for characters design:
1) Give Your Characters Personality
Personality is important in life, general. It helps us have a bound with other people. Same rules apply for the game characters. You show a character's uniqueness and what sets them apart from others through their personality. You can make players care about a character’s journey and struggles by developing a-well written personality. With their backstory, likes, dislikes, and values, and make sure they have distinct traits that make them stand out.
2) Design Characters That Are Relatable
To relate someone helps us bond with them. Creating relatable characters for players can increase their emotional investment in the game. Give relatable struggles, goals, or simply personality traits to your characters. Make them experience a real person’s challenges. This way you’ll be able to make them more likable and easier to connect with.
3) Make Flawed Characters
Creating a character who has no dark side and imperfection pushes players back due to the distance of reality. Flawed characters are more relatable and human. To make them more complex and interesting, give your characters flaws and struggles. Players will connect with characters when they see a character dealing with challenges and imperfections, they will connect with them and feel invested in their journey.
4) Give Your Characters a Unique Visual Design
Our image is our first impression on other people. A character's visual design means the same for game design. It can go a long way in creating a connection with players. A distinctive look that reflects their personality and backstory makes a character stand out from the others. To create a memorable characters and increase their appeal, a unique visual design is essential.
5) Create Opportunities for Player Interaction
A deeper connection comes with a deep interaction. To create that interaction between the players and the character, a designer must create opportunities to interact with characters. This connection is crucial for players to adopt the game. This interaction could be created through dialogue choices, quests, or even mini-games. Players will more connected to characters when they have agency in how they interact with characters.
Creating characters that players can connect with is an essential element of any game. You can create a real human-life experience by giving your characters personality, making them relatable, flawed, and visually distinctive, and creating opportunities for player interaction. Always keep in mind that a good character design can make your play memorable.