# 🎨 GRASSLAND BIOME STYLE GUIDE

**Established:** Jan 8, 2026  
**Session:** 13-hour marathon  
**Art Direction:** Cult of the Lamb aesthetic

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## ✅ **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

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## 🎯 **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
```

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## ❌ **FORBIDDEN:**

- ❌ Pixelated/pixel art style
- ❌ Gray colors or grayscale
- ❌ Neon/bright screaming colors
- ❌ Realistic textures
- ❌ Complex gradients
- ❌ 3D perspective
- ❌ Isometric view

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## ✅ **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

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## 📐 **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

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## 🎨 **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

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## 🔍 **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.

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**🎯 Jan 8, 2026 - Style Locked!**  
**All future grassland assets MUST match this aesthetic.**