The art of cover design in video games

During the 8-bit era, when I used to rent games, it was the cover art that would generate interest and curiosity for me. Sometimes, the NES era games showcased Anime cover art, which made me think that the game would be about some Anime that I am not aware of, but the actual game would look much different as opposed to what is shown in the cover art. Basically, the game’s cover art was the deciding factor for me. That continued till the early PS1 and PC game renting era for me. However, things have changed today as we can easily obtain most information about any game before it’s release. That being said, the cover art is still important for giving an impression of the game. Physical game copies would contain a front and back cover, wherein the front features the title art for the game, showcasing the main characters, and the back cover typically includes information about the game’s story, along with a few screenshots of gameplay.

Personally, I have noticed that most games, especially games from Japan, have better cover art in the Japanese edition as opposed to the North American (NA) edition of the game, and the EU version of the games somtimes tend to follow the North American or Japanese cover art design but generally have its own unique art, wherein the EU also has its own unique front and back cover art. Game cover art design is one of the reasons players prefer to have a physical copy of a game over a digital edition of the game. For me, the thing I like the most about game cover design is the artwork, the detailed text, and the screenshots on the back cover. Just like any other form of box cover art, such as the packaging of audio equipment, there is a charm to a game’s cover art. To be precise, it is the anime-style aesthetics, often found in a JRPG game’s cover, that I find very impressive, and the Japanese art is what impresses me the most.

Sometimes, a game’s cover art also provides a back cover design, that is, additional art design that is behind the main cover, which can be swapped in the game’s case for an alternative look. A game’s cover art can leave a good impression; it can tell a lot about the game with its remarkable artistic design, which is why the art of cover design in video games is important.