Paradox Interactive
01 / The project
Services
Afterworld is a post-apocalyptic grand strategy game from Paradox Development Studio, where a handful of survivors can grow into an empire.
We worked with Paradox to create Afterworld's visual identity, including the logo, iconography, colour palette, graphic system, brand guidelines and key art.
02 / The identity
01Logo & Icon
02Key art
03Brand identity
03 / Art direction
Afterworld isn’t about preserving the old world. It’s about what gets built from what remains.
The identity grew from that tension: ruined civilisation, improvised technology, belief, power and the symbols people create when they start over. Every element was designed to feel shaped by this world, from the materials and typography to the iconography and composition.
The result is a visual language that feels constructed from the world itself rather than placed on top of it.
04 / Key art
Key art
Afterworld starts small, with a handful of people trying to stay alive. But the promise of the game is much bigger.
The key art had to hold both ideas at once: the human scale of survival and the ambition of building a continent-spanning empire.
Tribes gather beneath the banners of a new power, with the ruins of the old world stretching across the horizon. At the centre, a glowing form could be either a rising sun or an atomic explosion: a new beginning, or the threat of destruction.
The key art was divided into separate layers, allowing the composition to be adapted across different formats. Individual foreground characters can be added or removed as needed, while the background can also stand on its own.
Modularity examples
05 / Logotype
The logo establishes the visual foundation of Afterworld, blending post-apocalyptic decay with grimdark science fiction. Its heavy, tactile forms feel marked by time, weather, oxidation and erosion.
The symbol merges the ‘A’ of Afterworld with the form of a triangle or pyramid, reflecting the game’s social hierarchy, with the leader at its apex.
06 / Colours
A vivid orange drives the identity, set against dark secondary tones and pure black for maximum contrast, impact and recognition. Two supporting orange hues extend the palette when greater range is needed.
The secondary colours are earthy, dusty and drawn from the game world: rust, grime, moss and sand. Together, they form a full gradient that can also be divided into primary and secondary ranges for more focused applications.
07 / Toolkit
Brand system
Inspired by the pyramid society structure in the game, this brand asset can catch attention or frame brand assets in a triangular shape. It directs the eye and creates focus around the logo, key art or another brand asset.
The toolkit brings the artwork, logo and colours together across campaign layouts and Steam formats. The examples below show how the elements work in different proportions and placements.
