Architectural Designer Creates a Pixel Art Town

[@VectoRaith]

This is probably my first tutorial where the tutor doesn't start building a city from pre-existing detailed terrain. Not to mention the effort to explain how to deal with potential dead space aesthetically. Well done. Very well done, sir. Game industries needs people like you.

[@Sputterbug]

Yeah same, it gets old seeing a "build x from scratch!" Video that's just a free or paid unity store asset pack that's already been halfway laid out in the scene

[@trodat07]

This kinda confirms what I've been thinking for a while: the video game industry needs new blood, not as in young people but as in outsiders from other disciplines that can provide different approaches to find solutions. The industry is already saturated with people who are used to the same old methods and can barely think of anything outside the same old formulas, it's like a big workplace echo chamber. The creators of Cuphead are a great example of what the video games need; I also like how this guy thinks.

[@cthulha_north]

I was rhinkin the same thing

[@Marphic_]

It's super important for creative pieces like this to be recognized to help encourage new ideas. While I'm not a fan of arcade-fighting games, I loved the whole process of Dragonball Fighterz's forced perspective and animation. Arc System Works did a fantastic job at ripping 2D animation and crunching it into Fighterz and Guilty Gear!

[@ponderingForever]

It does. We get the same groups hiring friends and the usual old faces, so fresh innovation is rarely brought in.

[@LedoPiano]

That was the case with GRIS, iirc, whose creator is a painter who wanted to pass on a personal message and decided on a game, and thus joined with technically skilled people that could make his vision come to reality. A game coming from a painter has a tooootally different point of view, and the game is AMAZING!

[@bruwyvn]

Hideo Kojima's dream was to be a film-maker but ended up doing fantastic games too.

[@WhiteKnuckleRide512]

I’d honestly really recommend making some more videos on these principles of architecture, even without the video game framing. There are ways to get into a lot of topics on KZbin, from art, to programming, to game design, but architecture is something I’ve never seen explored in a beginner-friendly way before.

[@PixelArchitect]

Definitely want to create more architecture focused content if I have more time in the future :) If you are interested in finding some content like that now, my favorite is a Ted Talk by James Kunstler. He goes over some basics of good urban design and architecture practices.

[@alexthompson8977]

@@PixelArchitect I recently started working on my first actual game and I would like to know how exactly you import an entire map into the game like that ( currently I'm using the tile patellete system which doesn't seem as suited for my game).

[@星宇宣]

@@PixelArchitect

[@feijoalmao]

@@PixelArchitect you should just design cities, like you are doing, and add the drawing a architechtual education

[@matornkitten7558]

@@alexthompson8977 2 of the best solutions to improving size / visual on the tile mapping is to use basic tiles to just map out where things will go and how rooms will be, then importing a object of what it is you'd like on the map, or the harder way where you just make an entire map drawing as your background and then just code boundaries to make walls and pretend like the things are real and you can touch them even though its just one big flat picture with invisible boxes

[@janthummler3548]

Wow. When looking at the thumbnail I just thought it would be a timelapse (which would still have been pretty nice, since your style is very beautiful). But the in depth discussion coming from your expertise as an architect was really interesting to listen to. Looking forward to more of you work :D

[@HarrisonMusicThings]

Incredible man. I couldn't find your email so I just followed you on twitter. This project looks awesome and I cant wait to see whats next!

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks for joining Harrison!

[@hercudev]

I feel so lucky this got recommend to me. Your channel is going to the moon 🚀

[@PixelArchitect]

Will be a battle to get there 💎 🙌

[@wolfepacificstudios1876]

@@PixelArchitect Glad I found it as well! Love the style and music.

[@mjc7172]

@@PixelArchitect add a mission to the moon

[@PixelArchitect]

@@mjc7172 Could potentially create some funny/crazy dream sequences like that

[@aikou2886]

@@PixelArchitect Hi! How did you know how big to create the map? I also want to ask how did you integrate the town sprite to unity. I'm mostly curious about interactions with the map, such as the one we see on 15:03. Did you make several layers (for the sprites) or how were you able to do that?

[@mikahytonen929]

Idea for a game: Chinese fish market You are in a Chinese fish market, and you have to buy everything on your shopping list, nothing less, nothing more. The challenge is that you don't speak Chinese.

[@dadaeeaeeadada3301]

But Chinese gamer can.

[@dadaeeaeeadada3301]

But Chinese gamer can.

[@dima97]

YES

[@TwoVera]

or you make a language that is unique to the game. ex. Final Fantasy X has a unique language and the player collects glyphs to translate the language text as they progress

[@Yen-jw1ls]

This is quite a unique way to learn a new language lol

[@cel7691]

I'm an architectural designer too, it's so great to hear someone like me with similar thoughts and attitudes towards "practicing" architecture and applying the concepts to other areas of design. I think the modularity of pixel art is what makes it so appealing to me, even if the modules are tiny! Can't wait to see how this game comes out, I will definitely play it when it does. Subscribed!

[@PixelArchitect]

Thank you Cel! Yes, I think architecture education is extremely valuable and has a lot of unique applications in the future if combined with other industries. Might make a video in the future just talking about architecture

[@cel7691]

@@PixelArchitect I agree, the field has much to learn from other industries too. Seeing connections and relationships that may not be immediately evident is so rewarding. That would be a great video idea! Demystifying architecture could be a whole series?

[@JohnDoe-xx7kc]

imagine this guy and concernedape doing a collab

[@lucciqs]

THAT WOULD BE AMAZING

[@TheKloro]

Yeah, definitely would be legendary

[@myfuelisramen2890]

I want this map in stardew valley with new bachelors and bachelorettes

[@Knightfire66]

that would improve the games a lot. today so many indie devs going solo. but forming a little collab would be so much better for the games and us the player...

[@spikedflowerz]

GET ERIC HERE RN

[@allflowersintiiime]

I'm a landscape designer and I completely understand your frustration with the corporate architectural world..in my last year of school, one of my profs urged my classmates and I to develop hobbies to derive creative satisfaction from. Your channel is great and I'm excited to see more of your work. Keep up the amazing progress!

[@PixelArchitect]

Haha deriving hobbies wasn't a bad idea. Unfortunately it's difficult to make money from an architecture business without doing developer projects, so that's what most architects do. You do get the occasional famous design firm that can do the cooler public projects and still turn a profit

[@MrSongib]

the world-building is basically a real-world building with a smaller scale, what I mean is 2D perspective and some architecture on the game most often doesn't make sense and I think it's time for people to have their consultation with the real-world builder about certain structure placement. working together basically.

[@saladasss2092]

which games are you refering to where architecture MOST OTEN doesn't make sense. I can't think of any.

[@sergsergesrgergseg]

@@saladasss2092 minecraft

[@saladasss2092]

@@sergsergesrgergseg careful the minecraft boys are comming for your ass

[@ellie8161]

I'm absolutely in love with the commentary on this. I can't imagine how long it must take to put together all the commentary and sketches but I think it's fascinating and I really hope you do more!

[@PixelArchitect]

Glad you enjoyed it! Will likely alternate between devlogs and design videos in the future :)

[@TheRexion]

My only recommendation is to look into what "pillow shading" is and try to avoid it as much as possible going forwards, as it never looks very good and I can see it scattered throughout many of the art assets.

[@PixelArchitect]

Had to look up pillow shading. Didn't realize it was bad practice, but makes a lot of sense. Really appreciate the tip!

[@Todija]

I wonder if there is people who shade pillows with pillow shading

[@ZapPack]

Also maybe some minor shaping concerns but yeah, mostly that

[@SarahZ]

I want to live on that boat

[@aseluxna3677]

Same!, Also it's crazy seeing you here. i love your newest video

[@Waseemxy]

AMAZING ! I was stuck while thinking how to design a rpg town for 6 months this video really gave some ideas. I can't thank you enough 🙏.

[@PixelArchitect]

Glad it helps! Always great to look at sources from outside video games, like film or even real cities

[@melody.-.1839]

Re-watching some of these old Dev logs in anticipation for the release. Guys😭 so much work has gone into this game, I’m so excited and so proud

[@amylouisexox]

I want to play this game it looks so lovely.

[@MTheoOA]

know Stardew? Probably, but if you don't know, which is pretty rare, it's an awesome game

[@amylouisexox]

@@MTheoOA yeah i love stardew :)

[@brummelbar]

Your design and planning for this city is really good, we can feel you really thought it through and it shows, it looks very intuitive to walk around the town, and it’s quite charming !

[@da_Finnci]

What a beautiful piece of art! Also really interesting to hear about your thought process. Reminds me of a video, where a professional architect designed a minecraft house. You developed such a unique skillset with pixel art and architecture, I love it. How long did it take you to create the art here?

[@PixelArchitect]

Glad you enjoyed it! Took about 7 weeks part-time to make the pixel art here. I think there is a lot more potential with pixel art level designs, so hope to develop and improve the aesthetic a lot more by the end of the project :)

[@tofadeldesdot]

Really enjoyed how you talked about the principles of urban architecture and game design, it really made the video interesting and insightful. The algorithm is rewarding this video and I can see why. Good luck with the game, really neat to see this kind of vlog going through all the different steps.

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks! Was pretty fun to make this design video, and will definitely make more in the future. Got a couple ideas but they take a while, so will roll them out slowly.

[@moctawolf]

Quite honestly, I'd play this game just to explore the landscapes and the cities like a tourist. This looks amazing !

[@neoVIVE]

Dairy+Gluten = my nemesis xD Great video! I am planning to dive into pixel art and* your videos are helping a lot!

[@aceman0000099]

Death to the food intolerant! Masha'allah

[@WQ_11]

are you planning to get into pixel art and gamedev?

[@CapriGriffin]

This is awesome dude 😆 the animation on it is INCREDIBLE! I'm looking forward to your next video of your pixel art work you going to make!😄😆

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks Mel!

[@Galanoodle]

Wow this was amazing to watch, thank you for sharing! Best of luck with your adventure and always follow your heart!

[@ThePixelExpedition]

You artwork and process is fascinating. I really hope your channel and game takes off!

[@fl260]

"I want to create without physical constraint" is basically your point at the beginning. You sir are an artist in the purest sense of the word.

[@yoyoyo7207]

Amazing artwork! It's really interesting to see the process of your work.

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks! Hope to make some more design-focused videos in the future

[@Marphic_]

I love your commentary explaining your whole thought process, it's really insightful!

[@djinni2005]

I love when I come across stuff like this, becasue being an aspiring game dev all my life has led me to see so many creative minds from various different walks of life as indie devs. An architect? That's just so frickin cool, and now I'm even learning about architecture while watching this! Like...just...I love it all so much

[@attaxiaffxi7033]

Interesting to hear the perspective of one who has applied their map design in real-world applications, and I think there is value in the parallels between the two design paradigms. Though I have to push back on a sentiment you expressed a few times throughout the video regarding the want to necessarily consolidate facilities for player convenience. You said [paraphrasing]: "imagine having to go to multiple shops to get items", in the real world, maximising convenience is logical and almost always positive, in games, this is _not_ logic you want to apply broadly. By their very essence, games intentionally pose inconveniences for players to overcome; the objective of a game dev isn't to minimise inconvenience, it's to create inconvenience on purpose and make it rewarding and fun.

[@matthewzaczeniuk4892]

Im currently studying Architecture in High school and it Amazes me how easily and effortlessly you come up with these ideas and execute them in such a cool way. I love this old meets new style.

[@PixelArchitect]

Glad you like the style! A lot of the design process is sped up for the sake of the video, but yeah it definitely gets more streamlined the more you design :)

[@_Thorondor]

Finally a KZbinr that properly takes the time at the end to show what was made in the video. Thank you!

[@ilPrinni]

Commenting for the algorithm, amazing work, the areas where the water meets land are amazing and I love the sci-fi but not sci-fi look

[@skittle3456]

This is so awesome! I'm about to graduate architecture school next year and I'm really starting to get interested in game design so finding this channel and your videos was an amazing surprise!! I love your art and how you're using what you know about urban design

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks for the kind words Maliha! Best of luck and hope you find what you are looking for after graduation!

[@senorsleepyhead9690]

I love the art style of this game and how you've managed to influence the town around nature and industry. The town feels like it just breathes an aesthetic that I am actually there in the 2D space smelling all the scents and tactile touches of the materials of what everything is made of. The part I really love is that you've managed to make the citizens and MPC move organically with the constraints of being in a 2D world! My only "complaint" which is more of a suggestion is their breathing. I feel that when they inhale they should raise up their ribcage and belly out and when they exhale they should sink their ribcage and belly in. But at the end of the day I don't want to be THAT GUY who tells you how to write your own game, just couldn't help myself to put that point across as it somehow, weirdly bugged me as I feel like that was what was pulling me out of the emersion. Really hope that this gets finished and released, I would love to play it!!

[@LordTeleman]

Really great to hear about the design of a town from a functional standpoint. Poi, movement etc. Great vid

[@TheRhinoDino]

This is beautiful. I hope that one day I have the skill to create pixel art this great :)

[@structralframing-timelapse5821]

Thank you so much for sharing your ideas! I'm also an architect student and I've been trying to get into game development as well, and seeing this really inspired me.

[@intellectuallysuperior8350]

Yo just found this channel at the moment where i actually want to start my own game design adventure, this is massive i love the way u think and i will make sure to share your inspiration with others😁 keep it up bud!

[@johnmorton4750]

Best design commentary I've come across. Really assists my thought process as a programmer! thanks!

[@ZedAmadeus]

I can't wait to see where the rest of this game goes, the way you approach level design in a grounded, more architectural way is really refreshing because in a lot of games the worlds can feel artificial and like they wouldn't have a reason to exist the way they do without the player, I mean, that is actually the case for all games, but you're nailing the illusion so far I guess if that makes sense? :D

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks! Not sure if the way I'm doing it is necessarily the best way haha. But I think it's always important for the design of a place to follow a narrative, and also to generate a fitting atmosphere

[@Albin9197]

You got me the moment you started explaining your urban design process *subscribes*

[@level1gg]

Damn dude, this is incredible!

[@SeaSerpentLevi]

Oh my god the walk trough was SOOOO pleasing to watch, and let alone the fact that this is a extremely informstive video with amasing artwork! Congrats man in rooting fkr you to achieve your goals!!

[@EnjeoLineMedia]

Some KZbin tips since this vid is blowing up for you, I suggest going back an renaming your videos with the same kind of title - get them views, your buildings are great

[@MariaIsabel_Fufuria]

This is incredible~ The art is just superb. Thank you for sharing your process. Looking forward to the finished product. I love cooking games and this will be a most welcomed addition when it's released. Wishing you the best in this endeavor!

[@PixelArchitect]

Thanks Maria!

[@AzA609]

KZbin over here recommending me great content.

[@vn2025]

Wow, this is gorgeous, nice job! This also resonates with me so much, because I'm a student in the department of architecture studying actually landscape architecture. During university I realized I want to get into the game industry for the same reasons as you have, since I like creating imaginary worlds better. Also I really like the gaming community. Currently am writing my bachelor's thesis of what Landscape Architecture can learn from game environment design. Love when these different fields meet, and there's surprisingly much to learn from each other. Keep deving!

[@hanpear]

i’m glad this was randomly recommended to me, beautiful stuff! i’d love to play this game

[@Piokou]

Wow the town looks amazing. Your design process was super interesting as well. I'm excited to check out your other videos

[@Lily-fu1xl]

God this looks beautiful... It has all the charm of stardew valley with a cliffside feel.

[@AnarchitectYT]

INCREDIBLE!! As a fresh graduate, I had similar question asking myself what I am doing in architecture. All these years of training seems redundant for just drafting drawing in the office. And I always think there has been a disconnection between art n technology in current architecture school.(U either good at scripting or rendering) so gaming might be a new media to combine those two. Anyway, I start my unity learning journey couple months ago, and your video is truly a inspiration and new possibility! Keep it up!

[@RubiixCat]

14:49 I don't think this is what she meant when she said to the hairdressers: "a bit off the top please".

[@yannajask]

this is incredible :) i loved watching your creative process and seeing how much thought goes into each part of the town. keep up the great work, i can’t wait to see the finished game in the future

[@BooshyBrows]

Looking pretty cool! The scenery and town is nice but the people don't match the quality just yet, keep up the good work!

[@SilverlyBee]

Wow! This is gorgeous! You're really talented and I loved to see your process!

[@nicholasgerry6931]

This could be an expansion for Stardew Valley

[@pcgamingsquad7899]

I've never left a comment for a video before but ireally love your work cuz it gave me enough motivation to start my pixel art career

[@danielst6976]

When i see this town i think on Stardew Valley.

[@celestinofreitas3733]

this really deserves a subscribe. Thanks for the motivation getting into pixel art now and seeing how much i can improve is really good loved the video!

[@Rivershield]

Looks really good. Some constructive criticism from an animator: these characters could really use a diagonal walking animation. And that's about it. Everything else looks perfect.

[@sninolaw3103]

omg, first time i watch your video, I thought I was just simple drawing time-lapse like other videos but not pixel art style, your video is fresh air to me

[@MaakaSakuranbo]

"Imagine having to go through 10 stores to buy all the seafood you need" Sounds neat actually, if you just have like a big line of stores and the seafood out in the open, so you can just walk over and pick it up to buy it. Of course it would be a pain if you had to walk up to each shop owner, open interface, see which kinds they have, etc. That would also neatly help fill the space imo, as each item has its spot (or maybe even 2-3 spots). Depending on how the game should work it could even feel like a nice detail of seeing whats available daily if you wanted to limited the amount of e.g. fish, or have different kinds of fish on different days.

[@frikkied2638]

So cool man! Good luck with launching the game and the Kickstarter campaign!

[@TristanCruz-yb3cf]

wishlisted, i love your videos dude, you’re an inspiration to me and many

[@brendibean]

This is so beautiful and incredibly inspiring. Thank you for taking us through your process

[@albertlockhart6769]

A really refreshing perspective on level/map design. I really liked your process as well as your explanations. The town feels really natural and makes a lot of sense, hope to see more video's like this in the future.

[@weirdmiester4063]

Your pixel art and methods are quite fantastic. I’m taking mental notes.

[@andrianhiew7180]

You've done a great job to shed some light on the thinking behind the architecture of a city/town. I never really gave a thought about them and from now on would be part of my thinking processes. Thanks a bunch for your sharing!

[@rimmaefe3112]

It already feels so alive! I love this, good luck! Looking forward to your work

[@icemannn9995]

Excellent background song choice for the in-game tour!

[@iamyaaay5825]

You are really talented, beautiful work and great video!

[@kartoffel4050]

Awesome and incredible work... I'm a achitect too and I've been slowly trying to enter the game dev industry. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@wiiasd3682]

Didn't expect such high-quality content when I click the video tbh. Really like your process of map design and pixel art, looking forward to see what's next!

[@CharlesSipe1]

This looks awesome. Looking forward to following your progress on this project.

[@jacobkamen9265]

Dude, this is really cool. Best of luck going forward on this one.

[@diegocastillo6470]

Loving every bit of it. Amazing work.

[@ili5096]

Have never put much thought into architecture before but hearing your explanation and connecting them to games made it super interesting!! Absolutely loved the video

[@rodrigolopes5389]

Almost made me regret changing my Architecture course to Illustration and Animation ahahahahah. Great job, keep up the good work!

[@TheHeraldu]

Wow you have talent, will be looking forward to more videos!

[@azaratowcanica2639]

You are like a bucket of colourful paint splashed on a grey wall that is the gaming industry! Got me inspired to create again, thank you very much :)

[@LunarcomplexMain]

Amazing watching this whole process! Also side note, 14:50 I'm glad you moved that tree, it didn't really look good hiding part of it behind the building.

[@sierra.lynette]

wow this was such an interesting explanation of game architecture. enjoyed seeing your process!

[@Balmarog]

I love your pixel style and pallette!

[@reo7759]

this was soo good, i want to be a indie game developer too but seeing this art just inspired me to keep working on my pixel art. thank you this was awesome. subbed

[@PregnantOrc]

One thing that stuck out to me during the finished walk around was that the crepe shop and ice-cream store could do with a little patio or some other place to enjoy their wares without having to walk around while eating. There are some boxes scattered around the pier too that could be replaced with benches which are more common to see on the customer facing side of stores. Boxes usually go in the back or at least partially hidden between buildings. I really like the neon sign for the chop shop. I can imagine the different sections being lit up or not depending on what is available.

[@LaserGadgets]

Interesting to see how you actually transfer this INTO the game engine!! Exactly what I wanted to see at the end.

[@toriridumatin3754]

Superb work so far, good luck on the cooking system

[@filipeserrazina9522]

You know, this video has been in my recommend for days now, and today I finally gave it a shot. Boy oh boy, am I glad I did that. Welcome to the game industry, we need more people like you!

[@elaimaro122]

Excellent content! I'm a pixel artist along other things and building designs\architecture is something I struggle with, thanks for inspiring work and references!

[@zucchini3857]

Your voice is very soothing, it was interesting to learn and see your process! There was an abundance of information and I enjoyed your explanations for many things!

[@redwyngs5516]

This turned out so good omg this is incredible!! keep up the good work!!!

[@RocketChild]

This is a fantastic use of your talents to combine your knowledge and passion for archetecture with the imaginative creativity of art and games. Only 2 minutes into the video so far, and really enjoying it so far.

[@PedroCasavecchia]

This is not only very inspiring, but also a good way to structure something as hard as creating your game town on a cohesive manner. I'll try to use this method on my own game. Thank you very much!

[@kasetsugi]

Beautiful man, i don't know why but i am remembering my childhood memory. Beautiful!

[@ceruleanmemoir]

As a computer science undergrad student, I am blessed that this video was recommended to me. It felt so good when you explained the path and node of the route, made me remember of the graph theory I learned in my first year. I will be following you from now on, as I found myself a cove of knowledge and inspiration for myself to carry on. Thank you for this beautiful video, along with the soothing narration.

[@NoxyChimisten]

I will for sure buy this game when it comes out !!! This look so good I love the little universe you are creating. The town really feels alive and walking in it in game looks so comfortable!

[@garinraquel]

I'm really glad to see a fellow recent Arch graduate doing their thing outside of the "conventional" architecture field! This looks amazing and you explained the urban planning theory very well. Thank you for sharing, I just subscribed and will be hoping to see more of the game's development process!

[@AH-bv9sw]

Mesmerising. I really like doorway lighting and how the shops turn on their lights during the transition from evening to night

[@emh.1178]

I love this!!! Thank you so much, very interesting and inspiring video:D