By Design: Making an Impression with Title Screens

As an aspiring game designer, it's important to take note of every component of a game and consider how it can be best executed to make a meaningful and lasting impression.  So where better to begin than with the first thing any player sees when they boot up a new game: The title screen.  Too often, these are subjugated to little more than simple text menus to start and load games with some unmemorable cursor or cartoon hand that points at the available options for selection.  But they have the potential to be so much more.  Title screens can make a powerful first impression into the experience a player is about to embark.  What more, they have the potential to create an imprinted emotion directly correlating to the game itself, as this will be a screen players will visit again and again each time they boot up the game, and even possibly when the credits finish rolling.  So what are some of the creative means in which title screens can be expressed and implemented?  And what types of title screens are best suited for the intended experience?  With these questions in mind, join us in the following design discussion as we take some time to dive into the many types of title screens found in the world of games.

Title screen from Xenoblade Chronicles.

Dynamic / Changing

A dynamic / changing title screen is one that will differ under certain conditions when the player boots up the game.  A prime example of such is in Half-Life 2, where the title screen offers an animated set piece based on the player's last save file / chapter they were playing.  Considering this was such a large and involved adventure for its time, these dynamically shifting title screens served as an ingenious means to remind the player of their exploits when starting the game and sets them in the proper mind and mood to jump back in.

Of course there are many other games that implement this same mechanic for similar reasons, such as recent indie hit Golf Story with its wide array of  varying golf courses, or Rime with its thematic chapters and story beats.  It also works well for games with episodic formats, like Telltale's The Walking Dead series or Life is Strange, offering developing depictions with each passing episode.  This type of title screen isn't just limited to lengthy, story-driven games though.  Take the original Mario Party for instance:  The last player to win a game in Mario Party would have their board and character on display for the title screen until another character win another game.  This clever use of changing title screens encouraged a sporting and competitive nature to play game and game again in order to earn that prominent display, perfect for the likes of this wily party game.

Mario Party title screen when Donkey Kong is the last victor; Mario demands a rematch.

Playful

Nothing is quite an iconic of a title screen than that of when players booted up Super Mario 64 for the first time.  Having that large 3D head of Mario zoom onto the screen and then discovering you could manipulate and play with his head to make all sorts of weird and goofy faces was a game and joy all in of itself.  It served as the perfect means to not only showcase this exciting new 3D technology of the N64, but also brilliantly put players into the playful and experimental mindset ready to jump into this colorful sandbox.

Another fun example that encourages this means of interactivity and play is the recent Super Mario Maker for Nintendo Wii-U and 3DS (hopefully the Switch someday soon as well).  Rather than start the game, players could instead poke around the title's letters to create unique interactions with the randomly generated template levels loaded on the title screen.  It not only provided a fun and silly pleasure to mess around producing these wonky effects, but taught players that poking around was an essential tool to discovering new mechanics and good level creation.  Playful title screens are a perfect accompaniment to any game where you want the player to have an experimental or carefree mindset jumping into the fold.

Tap the letters of the title to produce stars, rockets, and other crazy effects in Super Mario Maker!

The Feels

For this next category of title screens, I could not think of any better way to name / categorize such other than "The Feels".  Their goal is typically to evoke an emotional resonance with the player, creating the sensation / expectation of something equally as moving waiting to be found inside.  This is often achieved through a combination of minimalist design and powerful accompanying music.  One of my personal favorites in this category would be the title screens to the Kingdom Hearts series, particularly Kingdom Hearts II.  With that beautiful, clean art of Sora looking into the distant horizon while the beautiful and longing piano chords gently play "Dearly Beloved" in the background; I'd often just leave the game on this title screen for what felt like an eternity before deciding to dive on into the actual game.  This brief reprise before the game filled me with a sense of calm and purpose...a sense of importance to the adventure that was waiting before me.

Other notable examples of games that focus on delivering deep emotions through form and music include the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles (as seen in the first image of this discussion above), with a lone blade in its sweeping vast plains as the tranquil piano crescendos with the setting sun.  Or look back to Halo, gazing upon the planet-sized orbiting ring of a space station as the entrancing choir echoes into the deep vastness of the universe.  Another recent favorite was the new indie hit Owlboy, whose main protagonist sits upon a ledge looking out upon the majestic sky islands and foreboding pirate ships as a grand orchestration builds up the promise of adventure and the chance to prove one's worth.  Incorporating "the feels" into one's title screen is an effective tool for making a game feel that much more impactful and establishes a determined mood in which to enter the game; An often perfect fit for RPG's / narrative-focused games or those looking for a timeless feeling.

Adventure beckons with this iconic title screen in Owlboy.

Seamless

A new recent trend in games has been the seamless title screen, where the start of the game is the title screen and beginning such is a seamless transition straight from title into gameplay.  These type of title screens are particularly notable in developer Playdead's games, Limbo and Inside.  With them, players are immediately drawn in and fully immersed into the experience.  They're a perfect fit for these games as they are shorter experiences and can typically be completed in one play-through, so in these instances the title screens are only viewed once (or twice should the credits return to such).

This isn't to say longer games shouldn't use seamless title screens.  In fact, the recent and highly acclaimed God of War for PS4 makes great use of such a title screen.  With a peaceful and picturesque view of the woods, the game seamlessly flows into an aged Kratos chopping down a tree.  This type of title screen is a perfect fit for a game like this as A) There are no camera cuts to be found in this game.  There is a consistent flow between gameplay and cinematic cut-scenes that grounds the player that much more into the world and experience.  And B) Even though this is a longer game in which the player will need to return to this no longer seamless title screen and load their progress, the peaceful imagery of this screen stands as a constant reminder of the life Kratos can not have as he is continually pushed into a cursed life of war and violence.

With this first swing of the axe begins a perilous road that won't soon be stopped.  Prepare yourself, boy.

Cinematic

The last type of title screen that I can think of that is tried and true is one that adds a little cinematic flair to the experience.  And there are many examples of games that implement such with varying style and effect.  Sometimes it's as simple as showcasing an iconic location or action to be seen in the pending adventure to be started, such as is seen with Link riding Epona through Hyrule Field in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  It's elegant and refined, and the extra effort that is put into staging the various eye-catching shots of Hyrule Field make for a more memorable and lasting impression.

Other games may look to create a title screen with more cinematic flashiness and effects, such as how the Metroid Prime series zooms into microscopic organisms for a real visually stunning and sci-fi vibe.  Or some games may prefer to present bits of staged gameplay running behind the title, such as with Super Mario World, which demonstrates the game's new move set and the promise of fun to come.  Whatever the focus or intended message of the game, a cinematic title screen is an excellent means of grabbing the attention of the player and delivering a strong first impression if done right.

Metroid Prime's title screen represents a graphically impressive leap for this esteemed sci-fi series.

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These are but a few types and examples of notable title screens to be found in games, of which I'm sure there are many more.  As you can see, these briefest of components in the grand scheme of a game's design can hold incredible significance in creating an initial and lasting impression of the creative experience to come, and of the overall game itself.  As such, it is critical for developers to be aware of the desired message / tone they wish to communicate and how they want to go about achieving such.  Creating an effective and memorable title screen can be the first stepping stone in elevating a game from a simple piece of media into a lasting work of art.  Make an impression that is worth remembering.

Any particularly memorable title screens I failed to mention above?  Do you have any other thoughts or ideas how else title screens can be effectively implemented in games?  Feel free to comment and continue the discussion in the comments below.  And if you have any suggestions for other game components to explore or other topics for future By Design discussions, be sure to let me know as well.  Until then, look forward to more discussions to come and happy gaming!