A crash course in designing clothes in games

gamesindustry.biz:

Every outfit tells a story. Characters aren't just defined by their facial features or physique, a lot of who someone is and what they're about comes from their style and environment.

I'm currently working on asymmetrical third-person horror title The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, based on the iconic film. My role has been primarily in environments and character, and I'm working to bring authenticity to every area of the game – including fashion.

Both at work and in my personal life, I'm fascinated with how clothes can play into the rules of a reality and how a characters' fashion choices are influenced by their environment. From fantasy to the real world, I love working to find solutions and bringing my own passion for fashion into projects I'm working on.

Here, I break down some top tips on creating fashions that fit in the world of your game, some tool hacks to save you time, and advice on how art can reflect real life.

Every world in games exists with its own sense of time and space. From far-off worlds to an earthly era gone by, fashion plays a huge role in giving characters their grounding in the reality they live in. With this in mind, never underestimate the power of research.

Something I've been really focussed on over the last couple is years is authenticity and I've been on a journey to make sure everything players see on screen reflects the real world. In order to do this, research has been crucial.

For example, the original film of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was made over 50 years ago – a fact that has made tracking down behind the scenes photos and more information about materials, furniture and scenery difficult.

Both the film and the game are set in Texas – the USA's fourth hottest state – in a heatwave