In the world of game development, creating a game that feels fresh, immersive, and visually striking is no easy task. For My Monsters, the goal was to deliver not only an engaging experience but also a visually unique one — something that would stand out in a sea of digital games. My Monsters is a 100% hand-painted VR action adventure that blends third-person exploration with first-person immersion, and one of the key tools that helped achieve this vision was Quill — a VR-based art creation tool that empowers game designers to create truly hand-crafted, immersive visuals.
Quill is a powerful tool developed by Smoothstep, designed for creating 3D illustrations, animations, and environments directly in virtual reality (VR). Unlike traditional 2D design tools that involve working on flat surfaces like screens, Quill allows artists to craft their creations in 3D space, giving them the ability to draw and manipulate objects just like they would on a canvas — but in a fully immersive VR environment. This opens up a world of creative possibilities, enabling artists to visualize, modify, and interact with their work in real-time.
In the development of My Monsters, Quill was an essential tool in bringing the game’s unique visual style to life. The hand-painted, comic-book-inspired art style of the game would not have been possible without Quill’s innovative capabilities.
Our journey with Quill began with UNBINARY, our first hand-painted VR title for Meta Quest and PC, which was praised by critics and players for its unique visual style. Through this project, we explored the full potential of Quill as a tool for creating immersive, visually striking worlds directly in VR. The experience gained in crafting UNBINARY’s distinctive aesthetic became the foundation for My Monsters, allowing us to refine our workflow and push the boundaries of hand-painted game design.
One of the standout features of Quill is its ability to enable fast, precise prototyping. In game development, prototyping is crucial for testing gameplay mechanics and level design. Quill allows game designers to quickly sketch out a prototype of a level, test how objects interact, and fine-tune the game world — all from the perspective of the player.
The immersive nature of Quill is a game-changer for level design. Instead of relying on 2D screens to judge distances and player movement, designers can experience the world from a first-person perspective in VR. This means they can evaluate the layout of the environment, adjust object placement, and test puzzles with a level of precision that would be difficult to achieve through traditional methods. With Quill, the team was able to fine-tune the experience, ensuring that each puzzle and challenge felt just right for the players.
Once the initial concept is mapped out in Quill, the next step is translating these ideas into a 3D space that can be tested and iterated upon. In the case of My Monsters, the team used Pro-Builder, a tool integrated into Unity, to create 3D models from Quill’s initial sketches. With Pro-Builder, we were able to turn our hand-drawn designs into 3D prototypes, using cubes and primitives to quickly build out the structure of the levels.
This workflow allowed us to create functional, testable environments with colliders, making it easier to conduct early playtests and gather feedback on the level design. As soon as we were satisfied with the gameplay and puzzle mechanics, we passed the files off to our artists for the next stage: bringing the levels to life.
Step 1: Sketch on Quill
Step 2: Pro-Builder
Step 3: Add Interactables
Step 4: Final Art
One of the most exciting aspects of Quill is its ability to bridge the gap between the rough prototyping phase and the final visual design. Because we used the same files from the prototype for the final artwork, the transition from simple, blocky shapes to fully realized, hand-painted environments was seamless.
The process of importing these prototypes into the final game engine was automated, ensuring that the integrity of the design was maintained throughout. Artists could then add intricate details, textures, and animations, all while maintaining the hand-painted aesthetic that defines the My Monsters world. This allowed us to preserve the hand-crafted, comic-book-inspired look while ensuring that the levels remained functional and engaging for players.
The most significant contribution of Quill to My Monsters is undoubtedly the game’s visual style. The game’s world is not just visually appealing — it feels like you’ve stepped into a living comic book, with every brushstroke meticulously crafted to evoke the feeling of hand-painted illustrations.
Quill’s VR environment gave our artists the freedom to create large-scale 3D illustrations, each stroke and texture adding depth to the game world. The hand-painted aesthetic was achieved through meticulous design choices, with each environment feeling like a living, breathing piece of art. The result is a visually captivating experience that feels fresh and innovative, setting My Monsters apart from other games in the genre.
Quill was a transformative tool in the development of My Monsters. Its ability to bring hand-painted, 3D artwork to life in a fully immersive VR environment allowed the team to create a visually unique world that could not have been achieved with traditional 2D design tools. From rapid prototyping to final artwork, Quill empowered our team to craft a seamless, immersive experience that is both beautiful and functional.
As My Monsters continues to evolve, Quill will remain at the heart of its visual design, helping us push the boundaries of what’s possible in VR gaming.
If you want to discover more about its hand-painted world, we invite you to join our community on Discord and follow us on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and exclusive reveals. Come be part of the adventure!
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