# 🐞 BUGS STYLE GUIDE - Gothic Dark Style 32

**Date Created:** 2026-01-06  
**Status:** APPROVED ✅

---

## 🎯 **DEFINITIVE BUG STYLE**

### **⚠️ CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS:**
1. **🚫 ABSOLUTELY NO PIXEL ART!** - SMOOTH VECTOR LINES ONLY!
2. **✨ 100% TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND!** - NO white, NO color, PURE ALPHA!
3. **⚫ ULTRA-THICK BLACK OUTLINES!** - 5px minimum, clean and smooth!

### **Base Style: Style 32 + Gothic Noir Dark**

**All bugs must follow:**
- ✅ **SMOOTH VECTOR LINES** - NO PIXEL ART, NO PIXELATION, NO JAGGED EDGES!
- ✅ **Ultra-thick black outlines** (5px) #000000 - clean and consistent
- ✅ **Flat cel shading** (cartoon style, sharp boundaries)
- ✅ **Gothic dark aesthetic** with vibrant accent colors
- ✅ **Chibi proportions** (cute but creepy)
- ✅ **High contrast** (dark base + bright accents)
- ✅ **32x32px SIZE** for all bugs (high resolution)
- ✅ **100% TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND** - for easy background removal!

---

## 🎨 **COLOR PALETTE (Gothic Dark)**

### **Base Colors:**
- Dark purple/black (#1a0a1f, #0d0315)
- Deep grey (#2a2a2a, #1a1a1a)
- Blood red accents (#8B0000, #DC143C)
- Neon purple (#9D00FF, #CC00FF)
- Toxic green (#00FF41, #39FF14)
- Eerie cyan (#00FFFF, #00CED1)

### **Eyes (if visible):**
- Glowing red (#FF0000)
- Glowing purple (#9D00FF)
- Glowing cyan (#00FFFF)

---

## 📐 **TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS**

### **Size:**
```
32x32px (NOT 16x16px)
High resolution rendering
Smooth anti-aliased curves
NO stair-stepping, NO jagged edges
```

### **Outlines:**
```
Thickness: 5px ultra-thick
Color: #000000 pure black
Style: Smooth vector (rounded corners)
Consistency: Same thickness throughout
```

### **Shading:**
```
Type: Flat cel shading
Transitions: Sharp boundaries (NO soft gradients)
Colors: Solid fills with subtle highlights
Texture: Clean (NO grain, NO dithering)
```

### **Background:**
```
100% transparent
NO green screen
Clean alpha channel
Smooth edges
```

---

## 🦋 **APPROVED REFERENCE EXAMPLES**

### **✅ GOLD STANDARD BUGS:**
- `bug_test_butterfly.png` - Dark purple/black wings, red/purple accents ✅
- `bug_test_beetle.png` - Metallic green/purple shell, glowing red eyes ✅
- `bug_test_moth.png` - Skull pattern, glowing purple/cyan markings ✅

**Use these as visual references for ALL future bug generation!**

---

## 📋 **PROMPT TEMPLATE (Every Bug)**

```
[Bug Name] collectible sprite. 

Style 32 + Gothic Noir Dark aesthetic:
- SMOOTH VECTOR LINES (NO pixel art, NO pixelation)
- Ultra-thick black outlines (5px) #000000
- Flat cel shading with sharp boundaries
- Dark gothic colors: [base color] with [accent color] accents
- Chibi proportions (cute but slightly creepy)
- High contrast (dark + vibrant)

Bug details:
- [Specific features: wing pattern, body type, etc.]
- [Distinguishing marks: spots, stripes, glows]
- [Eye color if visible: glowing red/purple/cyan]

Technical specs:
- SIZE: 32x32px high-resolution sprite
- Transparent background (100% alpha)
- Smooth anti-aliased rendering
- NO jagged edges, NO stair-stepping
- Professional polish matching approved references
```

---

## 🐛 **BUG CATEGORIES & STYLE NOTES**

### **Common Bugs (6):**
- Darker, simpler colors
- Less glowing effects
- Basic patterns
- Example: Dark purple butterfly, simple black beetle

### **Uncommon Bugs (6):**
- More vibrant accent colors
- Subtle glow on eyes or markings
- More detailed patterns
- Example: Metallic beetle with glowing eyes

### **Rare Bugs (6):**
- Bright neon accent colors
- Strong glowing effects
- Complex wing patterns
- Example: Rainbow beetle, glowing moth

### **Legendary Bugs (6):**
- Maximum vibrancy and glow
- Magical/supernatural elements
- Unique special effects
- Example: Crystal butterfly, phoenix moth with fire glow

---

## 🚫 **FORBIDDEN (NEVER USE)**

### **❌ PIXEL ART:**
- NO chunky blocks
- NO stair-stepping edges
- NO low-resolution sprites
- NO retro 8-bit style

### **❌ WRONG AESTHETIC:**
- NO cute pastel colors (must be gothic dark)
- NO realistic photographic style
- NO soft watercolor effects
- NO muted/natural colors (needs vibrant accents)

### **❌ TECHNICAL ERRORS:**
- NO green/colored backgrounds
- NO thin outlines (<3px)
- NO soft gradients (sharp cel shading only)
- NO compression artifacts

---

## ✅ **QUALITY CHECKLIST**

**Before saving any bug sprite:**

### **Visual Quality:**
- [ ] SMOOTH vector-style lines (NO pixelation)
- [ ] Ultra-thick 5px black outlines (consistent)
- [ ] Flat cel shading (sharp boundaries)
- [ ] Dark gothic base + vibrant accents
- [ ] High contrast and professional polish
- [ ] 32x32px high-resolution

### **Style Match:**
- [ ] Matches approved test bugs (butterfly, beetle, moth)
- [ ] Gothic dark aesthetic (not cute pastel)
- [ ] Chibi proportions (cute but creepy)
- [ ] NO pixel art elements

### **Technical:**
- [ ] Transparent background (100% alpha)
- [ ] PNG format with clean edges
- [ ] 32x32px exact dimensions
- [ ] File size reasonable (<500KB)

---

## 🎯 **SUCCESS CRITERIA**

**A bug sprite is APPROVED if:**

1. ✅ SMOOTH vector lines (NO pixel art)
2. ✅ Matches gothic dark aesthetic of test bugs
3. ✅ Ultra-thick black outlines visible
4. ✅ Dark base with vibrant accent colors
5. ✅ 32x32px, transparent background
6. ✅ Professional polish (like commercial indie game)

**If ANY of these fail → regenerate!**

---

## 🔄 **GENERATION WORKFLOW**

### **1. Check References:**
```bash
# Always view approved examples first
open references/bugs/bug_test_butterfly.png
open references/bugs/bug_test_beetle.png
open references/bugs/bug_test_moth.png
```

### **2. Use Exact Prompt Template**
- Copy template from above
- Fill in bug-specific details
- Emphasize "SMOOTH VECTOR LINES, NO pixel art"
- Reference gothic dark aesthetic

### **3. Generate**
- Use 32x32px size
- Request transparent background explicitly
- Specify smooth anti-aliased lines
- Reference approved test bugs in prompt

### **4. Verify Quality**
- Compare side-by-side with test bugs
- Check for pixel art artifacts
- Verify gothic dark aesthetic
- Confirm outline thickness

---

## 📊 **BATCH GENERATION (All 24 Bugs)**

**When generating all bugs in one session:**

1. Generate in category batches (Common → Uncommon → Rare → Legendary)
2. Use SAME prompt template for consistency
3. Verify each batch before continuing
4. Increase vibrancy/glow for higher rarities
5. Commit in batches with clear messages

**Example batch structure:**
```
Common (6): Simple dark colors, minimal glow
Uncommon (6): Metallic colors, subtle eye glow
Rare (6): Neon accents, strong wing glow
Legendary (6): Maximum glow, magical effects
```

---

## 🎨 **FINAL REMINDER**

### **ABSOLUTELY NO PIXEL ART!**

This is a **SMOOTH VECTOR** style game, not a retro pixel art game!

**Every bug must have:**
- Smooth anti-aliased curves
- Clean vector-style rendering
- NO jagged edges
- NO chunky pixels
- Professional polish

**Think:** Cult of the Lamb meets Don't Starve Together  
**NOT:** Stardew Valley or Terraria pixel art

---

**APPROVED GOTHIC DARK STYLE - Use for ALL bug generation!**

**Date:** 2026-01-06 12:28  
**Status:** LOCKED ✅