Developer Deep Dive: The Art and Inspiration Behind Lynked

Introduction to the Team

Hey everyone! I’m Eric—some of you might know me as AD Bot in our community Discord (highly recommend, btw). I’m also the Art Director for Lynked: Banner of the Spark, and I’m excited to take you behind the scenes of how we’re bringing this world to life.

I joined Lynked right at its genesis— there was no artwork, just an incredible spark from our Game Director, Max. Since then, it’s been an amazing journey growing our team and shaping the game’s art direction from scratch. I’ve worked across big and small studios over the years, but this project has been something special: a chance to build a vibrant, dynamic world with a small but mighty team.

Art is at the heart of what makes Lynked feel alive, from the bold colors to the smallest environmental details. So, let’s dive into how we crafted the game’s unique style, the challenges (and breakthroughs) during development, and how our art direction shaped Frostbyte!

Early Exploration and Art Direction

When I first talked to Max, he told me about this project that incorporated a gauntlet with a grappling hook and this kind of robot world. The first thing that triggered in my mind were the colorful, dynamic visuals of games from the late ‘90s and early 2000s. This helped conceptualize many of our characters, but we also wanted to build a lush, bright world that feels organic while still maintaining the mechanical, robotic identity of the game. 

All these things helped us create this kind of hyper-vibrant vibe, or something I call visual candy. When you look at the screen, it’s so sweet and bold you’re going to get a cavity. This world is meant to be bright, playful, and full of contrast.

The other end of this inspiration produced a kind of vibrant and lively world with high-energy gameplay– something we’ve been calling “RogueLIFE”. Lynked welcomes anyone who loves the creative, relaxing aspects of the game and folks who are here for fast-paced action. That meant designing a world that’s both visually appealing and intuitive—where shapes, colors, and lighting naturally guide you through the game and its levels.

Development Challenges and Breakthroughs

One of the biggest challenges for our team has also been one of our biggest strengths: we’re a small team with developers across multiple timezones. There’s a lot our team wants to achieve, we’ve had to be strategic, flexible, and highly collaborative to bring this world to life.

On the flip side of that, our biggest accomplishments have been a result of our team structure. Small, spread out teams mean that we get a lot of different points of view and a lot of different skill sets. We have two incredible concept artists, Lise and Arthur, who are both in France and they just provide incredible and inspiring art. 

We also have a tech artist, Don, who is just an absolute MVP on our team. He’s very technical, but he’s also a self-taught artist who created some of the shaders alongside our environment artist, Phil. Their partnership is so inspiring to see, and this cross-discipline collaboration has been essential in maintaining consistency and quality throughout development.

Some of the best ideas in Lynked have come from moments of creative problem-solving. Whether it’s a technical artist pioneering a new approach to environmental detail or an animator proposing a subtle movement that brings a character to life, every challenge has pushed us to think outside the box.

At the end of the day, the hurdles we’ve faced have only made Lynked stronger. The passion and adaptability of this team shine through in every detail, and we’re excited for you to experience the world we’ve built—one shaped by both careful planning and those unexpected, magical moments of discovery.

Frostbyte Inspiration and Insights

Frostbyte started as a gameplay-driven idea: a way to introduce seasonal changes that would create new activities for you. One of our goals with this update was to give you fresh reasons to explore, experiment, and engage with the world in different ways. Art played a crucial role in reinforcing that experience, making the town and its environments feel transformed by the winter season.

Our technical artist developed a system to coat the town in snow and adjust environmental effects accordingly. We layered different color variations from soft blues to hints of pink to make sure the world felt cool and cozy, like you’re on your way home through the snow with a warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for you! 

Sometime during development, someone asked, “Okay, if we’re going to do snow, can we do rain?” This gave Max the idea that when it rains or snows, you could also collect different types of Bitibots and Gillibots.

We leaned into the winter holiday vibes, which led to a Krampus Bitibot or a Candy Cane Gillibot. One of our concept artists presented the idea of a biblically accurate angel Bitibot that was absolutely brilliant. We immediately knew that was going into the game, and the team has absolutely loved that it's become a community favorite.

Frostbyte, but really all of Lynked’s development, has been about encouraging everyone on the art team to put their own spin on things, have fun, and feel free to explore– that’s where you get those types of good ideas. 

Another example comes to mind after we had to postpone the Frostbyte update to 2025. Initially, we planned for a December release, but when we decided to push it to January, we saw an opportunity. Instead of just delaying the update, we expanded on it, incorporating elements inspired by Lunar New Year. 

This gave us the chance to introduce new themed decorations, Gillibots, Bitibots, and items, making the update even more meaningful—especially as we prepared for Lynked’s launch in new regions.

Building Future Plans with Our Community

One of the most rewarding parts of developing Lynked is seeing how you engage with the world we’ve built. Every update is an opportunity to refine, expand, and enhance the game—not just in response to our own ideas, but to what resonates most with our community.

A major focus for us has been balancing the game’s different playstyles. Some folks are drawn to the creative, cozy elements—customizing their town, collecting Bitibots, and exploring the world at their own pace. Others thrive on fast-paced action and combat. Finding that balance is an ongoing process, and every update helps us fine-tune the experience. We want you to feel like there’s something for them, whether they’re here for the adventure, the storytelling, or just the joy of shaping their own space.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep developing Lynked in ways that deepen that connection. We’ll be sharing more details on these updates soon, but for now, let’s just say—we’re cooking up something special. 

At the end of the day, Lynked is a game we’re shaping together with all of you. Your feedback, creativity, and excitement fuel everything we do, and we can’t wait to share what’s next. Join us in the community Discord, follow our socials, and let us know what you think. We’ll see you in Lynked!

-Eric Kozlowsky, Art Director

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