A Twisted Fable Meets Classic Disney in Murals’ Fantasy Action Adventure
A Fairytale With A Twist
Murals resists an easy genre label, though Dlala Studios describes it as an isometric hack-and-slash action-adventure. Players take the role of a nameless hero with amnesia, encountering eccentric characters in a fairytale world.
CEO Aj Grand-Scrutton said the team wanted to make a funny, approachable combat game, drawing on its own unusual sensibilities. He pointed to Dlala’s Battletoads as another project shaped by the studio’s distinctive style.
Art Built Around Team Strengths
Art director Lucy Kyriakidou said the team leaned on its painters and concept artists to create a visual style that felt personal to the studio. The developers also worked to make the hand-painted world readable in an isometric game.
The team tested the visuals while playing, adjusting lighting and contrast when elements were difficult to see. Kyriakidou said Dlala also considered color blindness so players could get more from the game without running into visual barriers.
Combat Took Repeated Iteration
Murals’ battles can include incoming missiles, falling objects and melee enemies at once. The developers aimed to keep those encounters clear despite the amount of activity on screen.
Grand-Scrutton said the team repeatedly revised both the combat’s visuals and how it played. He said it was not until six or seven months before the interview that the team felt the combat experience was truly coming together.
Key points
- Murals is a hand-painted isometric action-adventure from Dlala Studios.
- Players control a nameless, amnesiac hero in a fairytale world.
- The team worked on visual clarity, including for players with color blindness.
- CEO Aj Grand-Scrutton said combat took extensive iteration.