Lighting Art

Lighting for the Shot Guesser tavern, built around warm wall lanterns, a lit window, and the glow along the bar.

My Process

I placed the wall lanterns and window light first to establish the tavern's warm baseline, then added a subtler glow along the bar to pull focus toward the counter. For the lanterns, I wrote a script that randomizes each light's intensity over time so they flicker like real flame instead of holding a static glow. I kept the intensities balanced so the shelves and corners stayed readable without competing with the bar as the focal point.

Level Flythrough

Lighting Frames

Lighting for the Leopard Tug hall, with a low golden sun over the hillside, warm light along the arches, and wall lanterns.

My Process

I set up the low golden sun as the key light for the hillside vista, then layered in warm fill along the arcade and lanterns near the gates so the transition from outdoor to indoor light felt natural as the camera moved through the hall. The gate lanterns use the same flicker script as the other open flames in the game, so they read as live fire rather than a fixed light.

Gameplay Preview

Lighting Frames

Credits: Leopard character art by Katelynn Reyes. Animations by Benjamin Navarro.

Lighting for the Grape Stomp vineyard, with soft daylight across the stage, the vines, and the hills behind.

My Process

I used a soft, slightly overcast daylight setup for the vineyard so the stage, vines, and hills all read clearly without harsh shadows competing with the gameplay in the foreground.

Gameplay Preview

Lighting Frames

Credits: Level layout and most of the environmental props by Veronica Mauro. Animations by Benjamin Navarro.

Lighting and fog for the Hera introduction cutscene. The scene cuts from a warm tavern interior to a backlit doorway, where a fog bank rolls across the floor as Hera appears.

My Process

I lit the tavern interior warmly to match the rest of the space, using the same flicker script on its lantern as the game's other open flames so it reads as live firelight rather than a static glow, then set up a strong backlight in the doorway so Hera's silhouette would read clearly through the fog. Getting the fog density and the backlight intensity to balance took the most iteration, since too much of either flattened the reveal.

Intro Fog

Cutscene Preview

Lighting Frames

Credits: Hera character art by Katelynn Reyes. Animations by Benjamin Navarro, except the bird dance animations, by Veronica Mauro.