EVADE Design System

Overview

80s Synthwave/Neon aesthetic with Dynamic Hybrid approach: crystal-clear UI layered over rich atmospheric backgrounds. Apple Award-worthy polish.

Color Palette

const COLORS = {
  // Backgrounds
  backgroundDeep: '#0a0a12',      // Deep space black (primary)
  backgroundPanel: '#1a1a2e',     // Dark purple-black (panels/modals)

  // Neon Accents
  neonCyan: '#00f5ff',            // Player, highlights, primary actions
  neonMagenta: '#ff2a6d',         // Enemies, danger, warnings
  neonPurple: '#9d4edd',          // UI accents, secondary actions
  chromeGold: '#ffd700',          // Titles, achievements, rewards
  hotPink: '#ff00aa',             // Secondary accents

  // Supporting
  gridLines: '#4a1a6b',           // Subtle purple grid
  textPrimary: '#ffffff',
  textMuted: '#888888',

  // Gradients
  sunBands: ['#ff2a6d', '#ffd700', '#ff6b35'], // Horizon sun
}

Visual Motifs (Layered)

Layer	Element	Animation
1	Deep black + star particles	Slow parallax drift
2	Perspective grid floor	Subtle forward movement
3	Horizon sun (banded)	Position varies by screen context
4	Geometric halos (hexagons/circles)	Slow counter-rotation
5	UI elements	Glow pulses, micro-interactions

Per-Screen Sun Position:

• Main Menu: 60% up (welcoming)
• High Scores: Higher (triumphant)
• Shop: Lower (sunset/relaxed)
• Play: Hidden (no distraction)
• Game Over: Below horizon (defeat)

Typography

Use	Style	Properties
Game title "EVADE"	Chrome gradient	Gold-white-gold, cyan outer glow, 72px bold
Screen titles	Chrome	Smaller chrome, consistent glow
Buttons	Geometric sans	All caps, wide letter-spacing, 20px bold
Body text	Geometric sans	Clean, high contrast white
Labels/muted	Geometric sans	Muted gray, smaller

Button Styles

Primary (Play, main actions):

{
  background: 'transparent',
  borderWidth: 1,
  borderColor: COLORS.neonCyan,
  shadowColor: COLORS.neonCyan,
  shadowRadius: 8,
}

Secondary (Settings, back):

{
  background: 'transparent',
  borderWidth: 1,
  borderColor: COLORS.neonPurple,
}

Glass-morphic panels:

{
  backgroundColor: 'rgba(26, 26, 46, 0.8)',
  backdropFilter: 'blur(10px)', // Web only, use opacity on native
  borderRadius: 12,
  borderWidth: 1,
  borderColor: 'rgba(157, 78, 221, 0.3)',
}

Micro-interactions

Element	Interaction	Effect
Button touch	Press	Scale 0.98, border flash white
Button release	Release	Ripple glow outward
Toggle switch	State change	Overshoot spring, glow pulse
Score change	Increment	Roll animation, gold flash
Item collect	Pickup	Bounce + sparkle particles

Screen Transitions

Transition	Effect
Menu → Play	Grid rushes forward, sun dips, UI fades
Play → Game Over	White flash, chromatic aberration, blur in
Any → Modal	Dim background 40%, modal scales up
Horizontal nav	Parallax slide (background slower than UI)

Game Entities

Player:

• 3-layer glow: inner white, mid color, outer soft
• Shape/color from cosmetics
• Shield: pulsing cyan hexagonal barrier

Enemies:

• Neon edge glow (not solid fill)
• Shape = speed tier (circle/square/triangle)
• Color fades red → yellow near despawn

Boosters:

• Green octagon with inner glow pulse
• Clear icon inside (plus/shield/x3)
• Sparkle particles around edges

Modal Structure

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Hexagonal frame border with glow] │
│                                     │
│         TITLE (chrome)              │
│                                     │
│         Content area                │
│                                     │
│   ┌─────────────────────────────┐   │
│   │     PRIMARY ACTION          │   │  ← Cyan border
│   └─────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                     │
│   ┌─────────────────────────────┐   │
│   │     SECONDARY ACTION        │   │  ← Purple border
│   └─────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

• Game Over modal: Magenta border (danger)
• Continue modal: Cyan border (opportunity)
• Shop/Settings: Purple border (neutral)

Quick Reference

Need	Use
Primary action	Cyan border button
Secondary action	Purple border button
Danger/warning	Magenta color
Success/reward	Chrome gold
Player highlight	Neon cyan
Panel background	Glass-morphic dark purple
Section headers	Uppercase, letter-spaced, purple + line

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Solid color buttons	Use transparent + border + glow
White backgrounds	Always dark (#0a0a12 or #1a1a2e)
System fonts	Use geometric sans with letter-spacing
Static elements	Add subtle glow pulse or drift
Competing visual layers	Dim background during gameplay
Harsh edges	Add glow/blur for neon effect