In the digital game world, everything matters, from gameplay to audio. But one of the most striking yet little heeded is colour. Colour theory—the study of how colours interact with and shape human perception—is integral to how games are intended to engage users, cause emotions and provide user experience.
From an energetic sports game to a relaxing puzzle game to an online casino, colour placement is important when it comes to a game. Here’s why.
The Psychology of Colour in Gaming
Colour psychology tells us that different colours make us feel certain things. Red, for example, means high urgency or rage, so it’s a frequent colour in games where you’ll find adrenaline-pumping action. Blue, however, is relaxing and reliable, so you’ll find it a lot in puzzle or strategy games to help you think and focus.
Games designers use these associations to establish mood and direct player reactions. Warm hues, such as orange and yellow, can elicit energy and positive thinking, which encourage players to keep playing. Darker tones, such as deep purples and blacks, on the other hand, can add mystery or tension, which is perfect for adventure or horror games.
The Application of Colour in Casino Games
When it comes to online casino sites, colour theory is employed judiciously in order to help improve the user experience and encourage you to play again. Metals and pigments such as gold and green are used because they are associated with money, success, and luck.
Green, for example, reminds us of the old casino tables and makes for a nice prosperous space. And not only a throwback to gambling’s physical realm, green also calms the mind and clears the eyes, so it is ideal for games that players can play for hours.
Red and black are also used in online casinos. Red is exciting and pressing and black can give a certain level of class and grace. This mix of colours is meant to keep players glued but not drowsy. It is for this reason that a lot of casino sites choose to use a white font on a black background—it’s pleasant to the eyes and keeps attention focused.
Of course, not all casinos keep colour theory in mind—but all the best ones do. The majority of casinos on askgamblers.com/online-casinos/countries/in—a review platform that ranks and rates online casinos all across India and is generally seen as one of the most trusted sites in iGaming—make heavy use of colour theory to highlight certain moods and emotions, enhancing the experience and setting themselves apart from subpar platforms.
Colour Options in Social and Mobile Games
Colour is used in a very different way in mobile and social games. Big vivid colours, such as candy pinks, sky blues, and neon greens, are used to make them fun and inviting. They usually have to be played many times and offer a lot of interaction, so the developers employ fun colours to make the experience pleasant and not scary.
In popular mobile puzzle games, for example, colourful splashes often announce points or extra perks. The dopamine released by players after they get a boost of colour can reinforce these positive emotions and prompt them to come back to the game.
Awakening With Colour in Fantasy and RPGs
For larger, richer worlds, role-playing games (RPGs) and fantasy games often draw on a greater spectrum of colours. There can be a separate colour scheme per section of the game’s world to generate different feelings. A sunlit forest could be painted green and gold for tranquillity and expansion, and a dark, mystical cave in purples and dark blues for mystery and occultism.
RPG colour is part of the narrative, too. One can see colour-marked objects representing a different rarity or power. This is a mainstay in the genre that almost every RPG game uses—it helps guide the player and allows them to make more informed decisions.
The psychology of this sort of colour-coding combines with the fun of progress and discovery to keep the game interesting.
Subtle Influences and UI Design
Beyond the thematic application of colour, game designers also care very much about how they apply colour theory to UI (user interface) design. The UI must work, look good and fit in with the game theme. This involves choosing colours for buttons, icons, and direction indicators, as they can greatly impact the experience of a player with the game.
This is supposed to make things that are fundamental, easy to grasp, natural, and fluid, and not allow a bunch of clutter to distract the player from the game.
Designers do this even more carefully when it comes to CTAs (call to action). The “Spin” button on a digital slot machine, for example, is a case in point. We often call it out in a high-contrast colour, such as hot red, hot yellow, or neon green, which has been purposefully placed on top of the screen during the game.
This is not an accidental juxtaposition, it is the result of decades of psychology and visual science. The colours—such as red, which creates a sense of urgency to get players to play, and yellow—invoke expectation and hope.
The background colours are the opposite, they counter the accent colour by providing a clean unobtrusive canvas. Usually, these pastel colours, which are often blues, greys, or soft pastels, are soothing on the eyes and make long gameplay more comfortable.
Warm, standout colours mixed with cooler, subtle hues are what make a visually coherent game that pushes players’ eyes where designers want them to be, without being overwhelming.
Little animations, fades in colour, and hover effects are accompanied by these UI interactions. If a player, for instance, reaches over a “Play” button, a small light or shade of that button can evoke a fun reaction, involuntarily pushing them to do so. It’s a design element that is dynamically played with, making colour build anticipation for greater interaction.
Designers always try a few different ideas and factor in psychology before committing to a design, as every click or tap will need to feel natural and fulfilling.
The Future of Colour in Games
Game designers, in line with technology, are pushing the limits of colour. With recent tech news headlines like AR and VR, we are able to use light and colour in a way that wasn’t possible in the past. Designers can design environments that not only evolve but also change as a result of the user’s feelings, extending the game.
Machine learning algorithms are also being used to change the colours of games in real-time to the moods of players, adapting to the moods of the players to make sure they’re fully engaged and having optimal experiences.
Conclusion
Colour choice is not just a visual decision for online games, it is a calculated, precise way to influence user behaviour and make the game better. From the excitement of the roulette wheel set against an orchestra of flamboyant reds and blacks to the tranquil blues of a puzzle game designed to pacify, colour is a tool with which designers work closely.
The more that colour theory is applied to games, the better it’ll get as technology progresses, which adds yet another dimension to the constantly evolving world of digital gaming.
