STYLE GUIDE: Cult of the Lamb Aesthetic Documented

Official art style locked for all grassland assets

CULT OF THE LAMB AESTHETIC:
1. Smooth vector lines (NO pixelation)
2. Thick black outlines
3. Muted saturated colors (NO gray/neon)
4. Chibi cute + dark fantasy
5. Top-down perspective
6. Simplified organic shapes

DOCUMENTED:
- Core visual principles
- Mandatory prompt elements
- Forbidden techniques (pixel art, neon, 3D)
- Complete color palette with HEX codes
- Technical specifications (32x32px, PNG, seamless)
- Reference examples

COLOR PALETTE:
- Greens: #5C8A5C to #7BA376
- Browns: #8B6F47, #6B4423, #5A3A28
- Accents: #C05050, #5A7DA8, #D4B86A
- Stone: #A89968
- Outlines: #000000 (pure black)

Location: assets/references/biomes/grassland/STYLE_GUIDE.md

All future grassland assets MUST follow this guide

assets/references/biomes/grassland/STYLE_GUIDE.md

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+# 🎨 GRASSLAND BIOME STYLE GUIDE
+
+**Established:** Jan 8, 2026  
+**Session:** 13-hour marathon  
+**Art Direction:** Cult of the Lamb aesthetic
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **OFFICIAL ART STYLE: "CULT OF THE LAMB"**
+
+### **Core Visual Principles:**
+
+1. **SMOOTH VECTOR LINES** ✅
+   - NO pixelation
+   - Clean, smooth curves
+   - Vector-style rendering
+   - Organic, flowing shapes
+
+2. **THICK BLACK OUTLINES** ✅
+   - Bold black borders on all elements
+   - Consistent line weight
+   - Comic/cartoon style definition
+
+3. **MUTED SATURATED COLORS** ✅
+   - NO gray tones
+   - NO neon/screaming colors
+   - Warm, desaturated palette
+   - Colors used:
+     - Grass: #5C8A5C to #7BA376 (soft greens)
+     - Dirt: #8B6F47 (warm brown)
+     - Soil: #6B4423 (dark earth)
+     - Stone: #A89968 (beige)
+
+4. **CHIBI CUTE + DARK FANTASY** ✅
+   - Simplified proportions
+   - Charming, rounded shapes
+   - Dark details (skulls, bones) add character
+   - Cute meets gothic noir
+
+5. **TOP-DOWN PERSPECTIVE** ✅
+   - All tiles viewed from above
+   - 32x32px base size
+   - Seamless tileable design
+
+6. **SIMPLIFIED SHAPES** ✅
+   - Organic, not geometric
+   - Personality in every element
+   - Avoid overly complex details
+   - Focus on silhouette
+
+---
+
+## 🎯 **MANDATORY PROMPT ELEMENTS:**
+
+Every grassland asset MUST include:
+
+```
+Cult of the Lamb style, thick black outlines, smooth vector lines NO PIXELATION, 
+muted [color] (#HEX), simplified cute shapes, chibi aesthetic, dark fantasy charm, 
+top-down view, seamless tileable, transparent background
+```
+
+---
+
+## ❌ **FORBIDDEN:**
+
+- ❌ Pixelated/pixel art style
+- ❌ Gray colors or grayscale
+- ❌ Neon/bright screaming colors
+- ❌ Realistic textures
+- ❌ Complex gradients
+- ❌ 3D perspective
+- ❌ Isometric view
+
+---
+
+## ✅ **EXAMPLES THAT WORK:**
+
+### **Tiles:**
+- Grass with smooth blade details
+- Dirt with organic pebble shapes
+- Water puddles with shine highlights
+- All with thick black outlines
+
+### **Props:**
+- Mushrooms with cute angry faces
+- Rocks with moss details
+- Tree stumps with small mushrooms
+- Bushes with simplified leaf clusters
+
+### **Flowers:**
+- Simple petal shapes (4-5 petals)
+- Cute center dots
+- Organic stem curves
+- Grouped in small clusters
+
+---
+
+## 📐 **TECHNICAL SPECS:**
+
+- **Size:** 32x32px recommended (scalable)
+- **Format:** PNG with transparency
+- **Lines:** Smooth anti-aliased vectors
+- **Color depth:** 24-bit RGB + Alpha
+- **Tiling:** Must be seamless
+
+---
+
+## 🎨 **COLOR PALETTE:**
+
+### **Greens (Grass):**
+- Light: #7BA376
+- Medium: #5C8A5C
+- Dark: #4A6F4A
+
+### **Browns (Earth):**
+- Dirt: #8B6F47
+- Soil dry: #6B4423
+- Soil wet: #5A3A28
+
+### **Accents:**
+- Red (flowers/mushrooms): #C05050
+- Blue (flowers): #5A7DA8
+- Yellow (flowers): #D4B86A
+- Stone: #A89968
+
+### **Always:**
+- Outlines: #000000 (pure black)
+- Background: Transparent
+
+---
+
+## 🔍 **REFERENCE IMAGES:**
+
+All reference assets follow this style guide:
+- `/tiles/` - Ground and path tiles
+- `/props/` - Nature elements
+- `/flowers/` - Flower patches
+- `/farm/` - Farm structures
+
+See `MASTER_REFERENCE.png` for comprehensive tileset example.
+
+---
+
+**🎯 Jan 8, 2026 - Style Locked!**  
+**All future grassland assets MUST match this aesthetic.**