Design for the worst game frame
White text works in a cave and disappears over a pale menu; black text does the opposite. A robust design creates its own separation with a translucent capsule, short shadow or slot background. Contrast should come from the overlay rather than chance.
Place the same name over a bright, dark and textured capture. Check thin strokes, accents and numbers. If the text colour must change between captures, the overlay needs a supporting surface.
Judge text in the player, not the editing monitor
Many viewers watch on phones, small windows or beside chat. Reduce a capture to 50 and 33 percent before approving text size. Long nicknames should truncate or resize in a controlled way rather than pushing other elements aside.
Use all caps sparingly and avoid decorative fonts for changing information. Word shape and adequate weight make scanning faster.
Never communicate a state through colour alone
Normal and shiny appearance, type or team state should have another cue. Sprite shape, a type symbol or label, and removal motion retain meaning for colour-vision deficiencies, desaturated displays and strong video compression.
Limit flashing and repetitive movement
Continuous motion can distract and make text harder to read, especially when six members animate out of phase. Reserve strong transitions for events. Check that looping sprites do not create collective flicker and leave calm space around them.
Run a review without prior context
- Ask another person to identify members and state.
- Check a phone-sized image at lower brightness.
- Convert a capture to greyscale.
- Test short, long and accented nicknames.
- Confirm that subtitles and game alerts remain clear.
Problems found without design context are the same problems a new viewer will face.