Interactive Game Graphics - Research

The logo for Castle Crashers is not traditionally medieval themed, however it does reflect the game’s overall art style and interface, which have a very cartoony and hand-drawn aesthetic. The four colours, green, red, blue and orange, represent the four main player characters, which all wear attire of these colours.

The game’s menu is bright and colourful, and the buttons look like crystals, which infers the game’s theme of plundering treasure. When selected, the menu items show the confirm button clearly next to them, which is useful for letting users know which button to press to continue.

Magicka’s logo takes a much more traditional approach, which uses a typeface much closer to handwriting, and creates a much more serious medieval fantasy aesthetic. The logo’s colouring also contributes to this theme, using a dark colour palette and thick outlines.

This menu takes the form of a spellbook, which is a central mechanic in the Magicka series, and is therefore used aptly. The menu items are separate illustrations, which creates a contrast between each option. This menu lacks the game's logo, which might make it less memorable.