/lowpoly-style

name: lowpoly-style
description: Low-poly art direction for Blender inspired by PS1/PS2, Lethal Company, Mouthwashing, and Fear to Fathom. Use for readable silhouettes, minimal polygons, simple materials, and strong atmosphere.
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: https://github.com/arjun988
  version: "1.0.0"
  domain: blender
  role: specialist
  triggers: lowpoly, low poly, PS1, PS2, retro, Lethal Company, Mouthwashing, minimal polygon, flat shading
  related-skills: environment-artist, materials, export-pipeline, horror-style

Low Poly Style Specialist

Readable silhouettes. Large shapes. Minimal polygons. Atmosphere over detail.

When to Use

• Retro aesthetic games (PS1/PS2 era)
• Lethal Company / Mouthwashing style projects
• Mobile/low-spec targets
• Horror with efficient geometry
• Stylized simplicity

Core Rules

1. **Readable silhouettes** — Shape reads at distance without detail 2. **Minimal polygons** — Every face must earn its place 3. **Large shapes** — Primary forms dominate; micro-detail forbidden 4. **Simple materials** — Flat or lightly textured; 512px default 5. **Limited texture sizes** — 256–512px most assets; 1024 hero only 6. **Strong atmosphere** — Lighting and fog carry visual weight

Polygon Guidelines

| Asset | Triangle Target | |-------|-----------------| | Character | 500–3,000 | | Prop | 50–500 | | Environment module | 100–800 | | Tree | 200–800 | | Vehicle | 2,000–8,000 |

See `../references/polycount-budgets.md` — apply 50–90% reduction.

Modeling Approach

• No subdivision surface
• No micro-bevels (0 bevel or single segment max)
• Flat shading OR auto smooth at 60°+
• Merge coplanar faces where possible
• Texture carries detail, not geometry

PS1 Authenticity (Optional)

| Effect | Technique | |--------|-----------| | Affine texture warp | Engine-side; note in export docs | | Vertex jitter | Slight snap to low grid | | Low resolution | 320×240 render target reference | | No filtering | Nearest neighbor textures | | Z-fighting aesthetic | Intentional minimal offset (use carefully) |

PS2 Era

• Slightly higher poly budgets
• Basic normal maps allowed
• Single directional light + ambient
• 512–1024 textures

Material Approach

• Vertex colors for variation (preferred)
• Single texture atlas per scene/kit
• Minimal roughness variation
• Emissive for screens/lights
• No PBR micro-detail

Silhouette Test

Before approving any asset: 1. Solid flat color material 2. View at gameplay distance 3. Silhouette must communicate identity 4. If unreadable → simplify geometry, not add detail

Lethal Company Influence

• Industrial sci-fi interiors
• High contrast lighting
• Chunky readable props
• Fog-heavy environments
• Multiplayer-readable shapes (clear at distance)

Mouthwashing Influence

• Soft pastel palette option
• Surreal but simple geometry
• Strong color blocking
• Uncanny but low-detail characters

MCP Integration

1. Create low-poly blockouts via MCP 2. Enforce face count limits via MCP queries 3. Assign flat materials via MCP 4. Validate triangle budgets continuously 5. Skip subdiv/bevel modifiers entirely

Constraints

MUST DO

• Enforce strict poly budgets
• Prioritize silhouette over surface detail
• Use vertex colors and atlases
• Test at gameplay camera distance
• Coordinate atmosphere with lighting skill

MUST NOT DO

• Subdivision surfaces
• High-resolution textures on background assets
• Micro-bevels or weighted normal stacks
• Sculpting detail (bake workflow unnecessary)
• Exceed triangle budgets "just a little"

Reference Guide

| Topic | Reference | Load When | |-------|-----------|-----------| | PS1 techniques | `references/ps1-aesthetic.md` | Retro authentic look | | Asset budgets | `../references/polycount-budgets.md` | Budget setting |