Making Air Deco

Guide info#

Short: 5-7 minutes

• Summary

• • Air deco helps empty spaces feel less empty. Don’t use it to remove empty spaces, but to fill them a bit.

• • There are four main air deco types: Arrows, Connectors, Particles, and Overlays.

• • Arrows point the player in a direction.

• • Connectors link blocks and other objects to each other.

• • Particles are small objects that fill space.

• • Overlays are full-screen effects that can make empty spaces look more interesting.

1: Do You Need Air Deco?

Before we get started, it’s important to know what air deco is and when you should use it. Air deco is a minor decoration type that should make empty spaces look less empty. If you want a space to not be empty, fill it with larger shapes and do not use air deco. You also don’t have to use every type of air deco listed here, although it helps to know how to make all of them.

Make sure you don’t use it as a crutch either. Since it’s a minor type of decoration, you shouldn’t dedicate a lot of time to it before everything else is done. Additionally, air deco should be simple; if you want something to be more complex, consider making it a larger object such as a block or part of the background. That way, it’d be more appreciated.

2: Arrows

Arrows are pretty self-explanatory. They tend to point the player in the direction they should go. You can also be a bit cheeky and use them to mislead the player. The only requirement for arrows is that they’re simple enough to look like them. At a minimum, you should have a triangle; at a maximum, attach a line to it.

Similarly, you can also use simple shapes like squares and circles to outline the gameplay path for the player. This is another form of air deco that you’ll see pretty commonly. Here are some levels that use arrows to fill space.

friday by endevvor: https://youtu.be/TIIwskoucvc

Luminescence by gradientxd: https://youtu.be/W-pu-5b809A

3: Connectors

Connectors link blocks to each other, or other details like saws and the ground. They can be very effective as they fill up a lot of space, especially when the blocks are on opposite sides of the screen. You’ve most certainly seen these connecting blocks to each other or the ground in a level like Blast Processing or Deadlocked.

To make these you can follow the same steps as you did to make blocks, only without hitboxes or many details. Try to keep these connectors simple because they can get very tedious to make otherwise.

Here are some examples of connectors in action.

Culuc and RealVet’s part in Abyssal Extinction https://youtu.be/fRCNxPYP7z8?t=18

As you can see, the dark rocks between the blocks connect most of them together.

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Ion by Khyros: https://youtu.be/RiO5NKovWc0

The glowing squares connect the top cluster of blocks to the one on the bottom. Additionally, the white lines connect the saws to the blocks.

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4: Particles

Particles are small objects that just fill up space. You can use the rotating squares in the saw tab, small glow circles, the P arrow blocks in the orb tab, or pretty much anything else to make them.

Animating your particles (i.e. having them move, change opacity, etc) will make them a lot more interesting and fill space better. The more varied the movements are, for example, the better. Not only can you use particles to fill up space, but they can also be super helpful for making animations. Look at a game like Hollow Knight or a well-animated movie like Puss in Boots to see an example of this.

An example from Geometry Dash is White Space by Xender Game . You’ll notice a lot of small details, like how the particles blow in the wind after the train passes by, or get pushed all over the place if a structure moves quickly. The level is full of particles, so I recommend dissecting it to see all the places they get used.

Here are some examples from other levels.

CuLuC’s part in Edge of Destiny: https://youtu.be/qJYBhbJrQBY

The most noticeable particles here are the small rocks that float by the player. However, some other small particles and effects show up in the part too. Notice that fire follows the player whenever they touch a block. It’s a very subtle effect because you’ll rarely be in contact with the ground, but it exists nonetheless.

Additionally, notice that the rocks tend to move and rotate at different speeds. This is also subtle but it makes the part feel a lot more dynamic than it otherwise would. Variety like this will make your particles look and feel a lot better, so be sure to use principles like trigger stacking to your advantage.

Well Rested by Overdefo: https://youtu.be/bM6V_JeSmeg?t=129

Two minutes and nine seconds in, you can see particles that are used for specific visual effects. Leaves fall from the trees, and stars shoot out of each pad when they’re touched. This is another example where the variety helps make the part look more interesting.

5: Overlays

Overlays are full-screen visual effects that are, well, laid over everything else. An example would be a full-screen flash, or a gradient that you make out of glow and put on the T3 layer.

You could argue that many overlays don’t function as air deco; however, I think it depends on how you make and use them. A rain effect like the one in Culuc’s Black Flag part counts as an overlay; so do motion lines like in Fuel by Bli . Even a full-screen gradient can make your colors look more interesting and direct attention away from empty parts.

When making overlays, make sure they stay as a minor detail. They shouldn’t overpower everything else, but they also should be impactful enough to be worth the objects. I recommend adding them at the very end of your deco process so you can see how they affect the finished product.

Here are some examples from other levels.

The Sulphur Sea by YoReid: https://youtu.be/hpcJFK6iSvM?t=29

Twenty-nine seconds in, there’s a strong glow overlay on the screen. This is somewhat foggy; the other details on the screen, like the bubbles, make it clear that this part is supposed to be underwater.

Bli’s part in Ascension to Heaven: https://youtu.be/EmKT01hDUyY?t=7

You most certainly can see the overlay in this part, but you may not be able to tell what it’s made of. Here, there’s a combination of gradient lines and large cloud objects, all of which are on low opacity. Occasionally a spiral saw object is also used on a pulse. Finally, there’s a glow overlay which makes the part feel very bright.

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