RICHARD KHOO
Life by You, a life sim by Paradox Tectonic, goes for a stylized realism vibe. It mixes realistic proportions and settings with a slightly softened, friendly look. Characters and objects avoid being too cartoony or exaggerated, staying closer to real life. The game’s open-world environments are detailed and mimic real-world places like suburbs, cities, and nature. While it leans realistic, it adds subtle stylization such as softer textures, natural but vibrant colors, and slightly bloomed lighting. Since customization is a big deal, players can tweak the look of their characters, homes, and surroundings to match their style. Overall, Life by You tried to strike a balance: not too hyper-realistic, not too cartoony, just a relatable, flexible middle ground that most players can vibe with.
We began with just 4 other devs starting from the prototype phase and grow to a near-release-ready product. I helped build a small team of 4 in-house artists and partnered with 5 additional external outsource studios to craft the bulk of clothing and household items. Together, we created over 1,300 character assets, 2,500 household/environment pieces, and 7,500 different 2D icons.
Character and Clothing
Since customization is a big part of the game, players have the tools to adjust the look and visual style of their characters. Each character has 78 animation joints and 120 adjustment joints for the head and body. There are 115 sliders to customize facial features like eyes, nose, mouth, and ears for both male and female heads, plus 28 sliders to adjust body size and shape, giving players tons of control.
In addition, 18 full-face expression poses and 25 sub-poses were created for facial animations and emoting character gameplay.
There are 650 assets, including bags, hats, accessories like glasses and jewelry, plus tops, pants, dresses, socks, and shoes. Everything was designed to fit fully customizable bodies, so players could adjust size and proportions. A layering system makes sure items like jackets and coats sit properly over tops and pants, and things like boots and hats layer correctly over hair and pants.
Environment and Buildings
The buildings and environments are designed to feel authentic and immersive, with a touch of stylized charm. We tried to make the architecture reflect real-life settings, like cozy suburban homes with detailed textures, modern urban apartments with sleek designs, and rustic countryside buildings that capture a natural, lived-in feel. Neighborhoods are packed with small details—think trimmed lawns, picket fences, streetlights, and parked cars—making them feel alive and relatable.
The environment is diverse, ranging from bustling small town and busy streets to serene natural landscapes like forests, beaches, and rolling hills. The lighting is slightly softened, giving everything a warm, inviting glow, whether it’s the golden hour in a suburban street or the cool tones of a city at night.
Overall, we tried to make the world feel grounded and realistic, but with enough subtle stylization to keep it visually appealing and accessible. It’s a place that feels familiar yet flexible, letting players tweak and personalize their surroundings to match their style.
Marketing Art
