10 Things You Didn’t Know About Video Game UI

8. That Red Outline When You're About To Die In EVERY Game

Dead Space
Infinity Ward

Y'know when you take too much damage in a game, and now the screen looks like you’re drowning in a jam factory? That's the most imposing use of a screen-bordering vignette, but they're also used for more subtle purposes, a few of which you may not be aware of.

If you’re a fan of VR, you’ll know full-screen dark vignettes are used to limit field of view to stop people puking their guts up. Similar effects are used in standard FPS to very slightly dull your field of view too, placing focus on the centre of the screen, or creating a sense of speed in a racing game. In a game like Overwatch, in addition to a text pop-up, a unique vignette is used for almost every status effect, too.

The next time you’re playing a modern game, take note of how many screen vignettes are used, and which purposes they’re used for. You might be surprised - they’re more than just watery ketchup.

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Dead Space
 
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Hiya, you lot! I'm Tommy, a 39-year-old game developer from Scotland - I live on the East coast in an adorable beachside village. I've worked on Need for Speed, Cake Bash, Tom Clancy's The Division, Driver San Francisco, Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise, Kameo 2 and much more. I enjoy a pun and, of course, suffer fools gladly! Join me on Twitter at @TotoMimoTweets for more opinion diarrhoea.