How important are and RPG's aesthetics to you?

[Longspeak]

I can't recall ever being unsold by a game's art feel. But I have absolutely been SOLD by the art matching tonally with the game.

Most recently, Inevitable had me from the first look at the cover art.

Edit:
Inevitable Cover Art

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I can't recall ever being unsold by a game's art feel. But I have absolutely been SOLD by the art matching tonally with the game.

Ditto!

My personal tastes vary, but I’d say that if I had to psychoanalyze my choices, I’m probably paying the most attention to the art in supers RPGs over any other genre. And I think it’s because the source material is a visual medium I’ve enjoyed since I was 5 or 6 years old.

Sci-fi & fantasy games come in 2nd and third, for similar reasons- reading my Dad’s books from 6-7, and being sucked in by their awesome cover art.

 

[ART!]

Aesthetics is essential to me. You could have the perfect game for me, design-wise, but if it hurts my eyes I'm gonna move on. There have been rare exception, where I heard about something that was right up my alley and I forced my way past the visuals, but the visuals are such a big part for me that it's a really steep uphill climb.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

I honestly could care less about artistic merit of a game that lies outside of its artistic merit within a session.

How much less could you care?

———

In any case, I think art is very important for communicating the feel and tone of the game and especially its setting. More unique the game’s setting concept is more work its art has to do for establishing the imagery.

 

[Committed Hero]

If I am buying something primarily as inspiration, I care less about graphics since I'll probably be using a tablet. But I do think art has a greater effect on me nowadays.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

FWIW, despite my strong opinions about this topic, I know I am not “right” per se.

I have minis and terrain for my turn at dm-ing. My good friend shrugs and says he would be fine with X’s and O’s on slips of paper.

But God help me…if you have a great game with silly cartoony graphics I will never delve in to find out.

People marketing games need to know this. No graphics are better to me than mismatched ones but there is a non zero percentage of people that will never take a second look if your art sucks. I imagine the number turned off by good graphics is however near 0.

 

[Thomas Shey]

FWIW, despite my strong opinions about this topic, I know I am not “right” per se.

I have minis and terrain for my turn at dm-ing. My good friend shrugs and says he would be fine with X’s and O’s on slips of paper.

But God help me…if you have a great game with silly cartoony graphics I will never delve in to find out.

People marketing games need to know this. No graphics are better to me than mismatched ones but there is a non zero percentage of people that will never take a second look if your art sucks. I imagine the number turned off by good graphics is however near 0.

Of course the problem is what the potential market is going to consider good graphics. There are people who are put off by anything that smacks of anime/manga inspiration in artwork, and there are people who consider it just what they expect, or who are otherwise over gritty, quasi-realistic art and are much more amenable to something fancible. So even someone who is paying attention can assess this differently.

 

[Laurefindel]

Aesthetics are essential for me.

I can get past aesthetics that didn’t attract me and learn to love a game but it’s usually the aesthetics and t he suggested premise that will get me to investigate further.

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but a good cover will take me to page 1, and thus the ability to judge it. For me to look into a new game, it needs to be recommended to me. Aesthetics is the best way for a game to self-recommend itself to me.

TL;DR: very important

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Of course the problem is what the potential market is going to consider good graphics. There are people who are put off by anything that smacks of anime/manga inspiration in artwork, and there are people who consider it just what they expect, or who are otherwise over gritty, quasi-realistic art and are much more amenable to something fancible. So even someone who is paying attention can assess this differently.

Yep. You have to read the room and try to please as many as you can if you want to move units.

I mainly play D&D with a smattering of wargames. Manga is a negative for me in those arenas though I enjoy watching it on TV with my kid.

It is all subjective.

 

[kronovan]

The quality of the writing, attractive layout and logical organization is more important to me than the artwork. I guest though, that the layout would be considered part or the asthetics too. I be dishonest, if I didn't admit that the excellent art was a big motivator for my buying a good number of The Dark Eye 5E PDFs - only gotten it to the table once, but still love browsing & reading the PDFs. I also own all of Adventures in Middle Earth, which also has top quality artwork which really captures a Middle Earth vibe - if that makes any sense. So asthetics can definitely be a factor for me, but the writing and how it's presented is a bigger factor.