design-console-smallform

name	design-console-smallform
description	Pixel-perfect compact UI guidance for console-style Dartsnut games and widgets.
license	MIT

design-console-smallform

Design guidance for pixel-perfect, compact Dartsnut UIs, with console-game-favor defaults.

Non-negotiable rendering rules

• Use integer coordinates only (x, y, widths, heights).
• Keep edges on the 1 px grid; avoid anti-aliased primitives where possible.
• Favor integer scale factors for all copied/sampled art.
• Preserve panel boundaries from dartsnut-display-mapping; never spill gameplay interactions into the secondary panel.
• Keep visual behavior deterministic frame-to-frame (no jitter from fractional movement).

Small-form layout budgets

• 64x32: one dominant metric + one short label line, or tiny status strip + single visual glyph.
• 128x64: one compact content area + one thin HUD strip.
• 128x128: one primary gameplay/content region with 1-2 lightweight overlays.
• 128x160: treat as 128x128 main area + 64x32 secondary status area; prioritize gameplay in main area.

Typography and icon legibility

• Use pixel fonts or bitmap-safe glyphs for small text.
• Prefer short labels, abbreviations, and numeric-first status.
• Enforce clear hierarchy: title > primary value > secondary metadata.
• At tiny sizes, avoid mixed weights/styles in the same row.
• Keep icon silhouettes simple (high recognizability at low resolution).

Console-game-favor visual style

• Default to high-contrast palette with limited accent colors.
• Use predictable HUD anchors (top-left stats, top-right status, bottom strip prompts).
• Keep feedback immediate and concise (hit markers, score pop, state badge).
• Reserve animation for gameplay-relevant changes; avoid decorative motion noise.

Widget fallback behavior

For widget conf.json types, keep game flavor lightweight:

• prioritize data clarity and glanceability over effects
• keep interaction hints minimal and unobtrusive
• reuse compact HUD spacing discipline for information density

Acceptance checklist (rendering)

• No subpixel positioning or fractional scale.
• Text remains readable at target size without zooming.
• Main vs secondary panel responsibilities remain valid.
• Visual noise does not compete with core gameplay or core widget metric.