André Almo - Kibble illustration

KIBBLE

'Kibble' is a short game about memory and companionship, where the main character relives their first day with their newly adopted dog. The player must feed the dog, and as food hits the bowl, a cascade of memories starts flowing.

OVERVIEW

The game was fully illustrated and animated in pixel art using Aseprite. The simple retro aesthetic aims to evoke a feeling of nostalgia, fitting the game's idea of acting as a replay of a faraway memory.

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THE BOWL

The food bowl serves as both a central gameplay mechanic and a symbolic focal point in Kibble. Rendered in soft blue-grey tones with crisp black pixel outlines, it appears across key moments in the game: first as a quiet, empty object in the opening scenes, then animated and reactive during the falling kibble minigame. It represents the quiet rituals of care that, though small, shape the bond between human and animal over time.

THE DOG

The dog sprite channels warmth and personality through restrained pixel design. Using a limited orange-brown palette, the animations convey eagerness, curiosity, and affection without the need for expressive facial features. Directional movement sprites maintain consistent proportions, while sitting and idle poses evoke playfulness and trust.

THE PLAYER

The player character is defined by striking visual contrasts: soft light-blue hair stands out vividly against the earth-toned environment, while a bold red shirt adds warmth and grounding. The sprite maintains clean proportions across all four directional views, echoing the game’s pixel-perfect consistency. Facial features are minimal or absent, allowing the character to function as a narrative vessel rather than a defined personality. This design choice encourages immersion, helping players internalise the memories they’re witnessing and inhabit the moment emotionally, not just visually.

THE TREE

The tree sprite has a rounded green canopy that uses varied hues to suggest depth and softness, while the simple brown trunk provides visual grounding.

THE TILESET

The tileset forms the visual and spatial foundation of Kibble’s world. The grass, stone, and fence tiles have been carefully crafted to compose the game's atmosphere. Grass tiles include subtle clusters of pixels to hint at vegetation without disrupting movement clarity. Stone paths are rendered in muted greys, offering contrast and direction. Fences, shaded in reddish-brown tones, subtly echo the colour palette of the dog, reinforcing visual harmony across the environment. Together, these elements contribute to the game’s memory-like quality, familiar and coherent.

THE MAP

The map in 'Kibble' represents a modest, enclosed yard. Designed with gentle visual contrast and spatial clarity, it serves as the stage for the game’s core interaction between the player and their dog. The layout is intentionally compact, reinforcing the intimacy of the moment being remembered. Pathways, grass, fencing, and a single tree offer visual landmarks, creating a believable environment. Every element of the map is placed to guide the player’s movement while evoking a sense of familiarity and warmth. As the first shared space between human and dog, this yard becomes more than a backdrop: it becomes part of the memory itself.