The one graphic barely anyone changes for their game… maybe you do?

[Avery]

Most people use costum characters and add at least extra tiles, maybe even replace the iconset and windowskin, but what about the other files, especially on system?
I think I have never seen someone release a custom button set and if I see buttons in games, they are default.

But do they really have to be?

Since they look pretty generic, the default buttons work with any type of game, here you can see them “in action” in the menu:

But if you have a very specific game and setting, maybe you want to adjust them to better fit your vision?
Plus, the default buttons work well with the default and font, if you change those two, you migth want the buttons to match! Especially if you choose a more "retro" and pixelated style, unique buttons can do a lot!

But how do they look like as resource?

The buttons themselves are laid out in a 48x48 grid, with the return and the checkbox being double wide. There are also two rows, the upper one being the buttons you see displayed and the turquoise one being the one which replace the upper row icons when clicked on.

Within those limitations, anything is possible. You can search for premade parts to build the buttons you like or go in from scratch.

Tip: if you look e.g. at opengame art, you can get nice inspirations or bases for edits by looking for "gui":

Turning Polyhedron GUI

GUI used in Turning Polyhedron (in the module FakeDXUI). Removed some icons ripped from Wine (licensed under LGPL) and some other icons.

opengameart.org

Various GUI Elements

This is a selection of various GUI elements from several different projects we worked on in the past. They include: Buttons Header and Footer Bars Progress/Power Bars VS Labels Arrows Slider Bars Plus a few other bits.

opengameart.org

Various GUI Elements - Part 2

This is a second selection of various GUI elements from several different projects we worked on in the past. They include: Buttons Header and Footer Bars Progress/Power Bars Boxes Slider Bars Backgrounds

opengameart.org

Simple RPG GUI

A simplistic 2D GUI for use in your game (RPG or not), mostly for project prototyping. I hope you'll find it useful and I'd appreciate it if you send me a line, with a link to your project - just to satisfy my curiosity.

opengameart.org

I for example used my own GUI icons from my MV/MZ iconset as a reference, since I liked the color sheme.

Since you just need two basic shapes, those are really easy to create!
The symbols are very generic and easy to draw as well:

And then, with some simple shading, we already have some unique buttons:

Since those are our own unique buttons, we can pick any “clicked” effect that we like - it does not have to be “just” a color alteration. How about having the button move “into” the screen, as if it was pressed down? You can either stick with a transparent overlay as the default did, or you go for a solid image that completly covers the default as I did here.

Added to the game, they add their own new flavor to the menu:

You are free to do what you like here, just keep in mind that they are in fact customizable and those minutes invested can pay off a lot. You could even use elements of your windowskin to create them and have them blend into the other UI elements!

 

[Holder]

What people may see as a little change can make a massive difference.
Another great tutorial and example of what people can and how to change up their visual appeal of their game.

Personally I've never known that people can do this.

 

[Ms Littlefish]

I was about to say something similar, Holder. Small details DO get noticed, especially in crowds familiar with the default assets. If you change nearly everything but the system buttons and system sounds, people notice!

 

[ShadowDragon]

I do change everything to fit my game, but on te button part (in MV) and similair
in MZ, is that it is mostly NOT visible, unless you use the mouse to click to make
it visible!

I think that is the reason why they dont change it?
but I just change it just in case

 

[caethyril]

Pretty! A small correction:

There are also two rows, the upper one being the buttons you see displayed and the turquoise one being the oberlay put over them when clicked on.

It's not an overlay, it's a replacement. I.e. while pressed it uses the bottom row, otherwise it uses the top row.

I do change everything to fit my game, but on te button part (in MV) and similair
in MZ, is that it is mostly NOT visible, unless you use the mouse to click to make
it visible!

MV tries to automatically show/hide the buttons when appropriate, i.e. when the most recent input is from TouchInput (mouse/touch) rather than Input (gamepad/keyboard/etc). By default it also has no cancel, menu, or left/right buttons: MV only implements up/down/OK buttons for number inputs.

MZ creates the buttons if the in-game "Touch UI" option is on (which it is, by default) and shows them whenever the corresponding input is valid, regardless of which input type was most recent. It also uses them in more situations: cancel, open pause menu, and pageup/pagedown (left/right, e.g. to change actors on status screen).

 

[Avery]

Oh thanks for pointing that out, gonna fix it right now :3

Thanks for all your comments! While I don't think people have to change everything, it is such details that can really set your game apart!
And if you think about it, changing this graphic can do a lot more if you think about it.
You could for example replace the default hamburger menu button with an actual hamburger:

...or something more fitting. Modern setting games sometimes use a smartphone style menu, so you could simply replace the default menu button with a smartphone icon for example.

 

[ShadowDragon]

I love that hamburger, I find it a weird icon anywayt, with 3 lines.
mostly used as "settings" or "Menu" with options.

but that Icon is lovely, but you could also use a "book" if you have the layout of it.