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ARTLOG #2: DESIGNING THE GRITTY BARS AND NOIR ATMOSPHERE OF THE 1920S ARTLOG #2: DESIGNING THE GRITTY BARS AND NOIR ATMOSPHERE OF THE 1920S ARTLOG #2: DESIGNING THE GRITTY BARS AND NOIR ATMOSPHERE OF THE 1920S

Hello Everyone,

Greetings from the Complex Universe team! Welcome to the second episode of our ArtLog series, where we focus on the visual world and design processes of our game. Today, stepping away from mechanics and code, we will focus on the aesthetic structure of the locations that first come to mind when thinking of the 1920s: Bars and secret speakeasies.

Noir Atmosphere: The Balance of Light and Shadow At the core of Silent Authority: Blood & Bourbon‘s visual identity lies the “noir” aesthetic. When designing the bars, our goal was not just to create locations, but to make the player feel the forbidden, mysterious, and heavy air of the Prohibition era.

Chiaroscuro Effect: As you will notice in the visuals, we created a strong contrast between dim, warm yellow lights and deep, sharp shadows (Chiaroscuro). This technique adds a claustrophobic yet inviting feel to the venues, while visually emphasizing the danger lurking in the corners.

Texture and Period Details Capturing the spirit of the 1920s is in the details. Per our GDD, these locations needed to feel “lived-in.”

Worn Textures: We did extensive texturing work to make the polish on the wooden counters, tables, and floors in the bars look old, scratched, and worn. Props like gramophones, pianos, and period-appropriate liquor bottles reinforce the feeling that the player is in a venue from that specific year.

Cultural Diversity New York was a cultural melting pot in the 1920s, and the underworld should reflect that.

Classic Pubs and Chinese Bars: The venues we designed are not uniform. In addition to classic American/Irish pubs (as seen in the visuals), there are also hidden Chinese bars in the back alleys, each with its own unique architecture, different lighting palette, and atmosphere. This diversity provided a chance for our art team to experiment with different color palettes and architectural styles.