The Art of... LOCO MOTIVE
Loco Motive is a quirky hand-drawn murder mystery inspired by the beloved LucasArts classics of the 1980s and 1990s. Robust Games’ creative director Adam Riches tells Vince Pavey all about the work his team put into killing it when it comes to art and animation
Adam Riches, creative director at Robust Games
WAS THE APPEARANCE OF LOCO MOTIVE CORE TO ITS INITIAL CONCEPT? in the visuals. The characters stand out with their bright, vibrant colors, set against a bold and blocky (often industrial) environment. Movement plays a key role in the design, with the environment itself constantly in motion. Lightning periodically strikes, illuminating the carriage interior and the passengers within. All the while, the bartender animatedly mixes a cocktail. It’s all designed to grab your attention and add sparkle to this digital diorama.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO MAKE A GAME THAT LOOKS LIKE LOCO MOTIVE?
I’ve worked with pixel art for over a decade now, on projects such as Starbound, Wargroove, Witchbrook and Kingdom Two Crowns. It seemed the obvious choice to continue using it when creating our debut game. That’s naturally where I’m going to feel most comfortable, and it
The other advantage of working with this particular medium was its strong connection to the classic LucasArts adventure games, that many players have a strong nostalgia for. Part of our messaging was to lean into that retro aesthetic while still showing that we were crafting something fresh. Working in this style also allowed us to animate more quickly than if we had opted for high-resolution traditional
18 | MCV/DEVELOP February/March 2025
cartoon-style movement of our characters. Pixel art gives feels high quality and bespoke because it is! Every pixel and frame of Loco Motive is drawn by hand, ensuring that each moment has that personal, handcrafted touch. That may not register on a surface level to the player, but I think it does add something they can feel, and I don’t believe many games are doing this sort of thing right now. WHAT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES WERE USED TO CREATE THE GAME’S LOOK? We used Aseprite for all of the art in Loco Motive, which is the go-to tool of choice if you’re going to work with pixel art. I’ve been using it for years and have racked up an upsetting number of hours in it on Steam— I think we’re up to 18,000+ now. It’s probably best not to dwell on that.
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