This weekend, I’ve been working on the backgrounds for the bus stops in our game Pixel Punch. Each level in the game starts with an entry area, which serves as your gateway to the main level. Since the game doesn’t have a traditional map, the bus stops and their numbers will help players understand where they’ve arrived.

🎨 About the style and inspiration The story takes place in Tallinn during Jaanipäev (St. John’s Day), the height of midsummer when people across Estonia celebrate the longest day and shortest night with bonfires and festivals. We wanted to capture this unique atmosphere in the game’s backgrounds. Over the past few days, I’ve been sketching different concepts, drawing inspiration from the narrative and the city’s vibrant summer vibes. Most of these sketches were done on my tablet while hopping between various cafes—my first proper experience using a MiPad and MiPen, by the way! 😊

🖌 Turning sketches into pixel art Now the process has moved into a more focused phase: I’m coloring the narrative-based sketches and refining them into pixel art. For this, I’m using Aseprite, which I find to be one of the fastest and most affordable tools for pixel art (I got it on sale for about €2 back in the day!).

One of the bus stops is inspired by the seaside promenade in Tallinn, a place full of childhood memories for me. In the game’s story, this is where players will search for their lost passport—an important step before flying to London for the year’s biggest music event. But more on that later. 😉

💬 Let me know what you think! Have you ever drawn inspiration from places you grew up in for your creative projects?