Why Are People Complaining About Yellow Paint Being Used In Video Games? The Game Design Debate Explained

The push for video game realism has some caveats if disgruntled video game nerds on X (Twitter) are to be believed. The Resident Evil 4 remake, as well as every Naughty Dog production ever, has been accused of spoonfeeding "obvious" gameplay to its players using "obnoxious" yellow paint splashed.

But debates about yellow paint and similar "ugly" game design came to the fore in February 2024, with players pointing to the sheer number of games the Yellow Paint Virus has infected. Here's why so many people dislike seeing yellow paint in video games, and why other players see obvious signage as a necessary part of modern video games.

What Is Yellow Paint Used For In Video Games?

Naughty Dog is a company often credited with popularising the use of yellow to indicate that an item holds significance or can be interacted with. The developers are known for creating titles with a high level of realism, such as The Last of Us and Uncharted.

The reason many gaming developers give for using "overly obvious" signage like a splash of yellow paint is playtests; according to Ubisoft designer @AgentDeli, gamers have a tendency to gloss over environmentally realistic props. They write, "It’s either this or ‘the glow,'" adding, "Unless you guys want a button prompt to 'look at lootables' every time you enter a room, learn to live with the yellow marks!"

When Did Gamers First Begin Criticising The Use Of Yellow Signage In Video Games?

Debates about yellow paint in video games were exacerbated with Twitter discourse in 2023. with X user @FPSthetics posting screenshots of yellow paint "X marks the spot" type signs in the Resident Evil 4 remake saying "This needs to end."

Gaming devs continued to insist that obvious signage is a necessary offset to increased realism in video games, with some gamers chiming in with their own experiences of missing the mark in a game that did not spoonfed necessary information to them. For example, X user @arainydancer noted how Elden RIng players had complained about missing a tutorial because they didn't talk to the NPC in the opening level who told them where to find it.

How Did Other Gamers React To Complaints About Yellow Signage In Video Games?

Gamer in-jokes about yellow signage came to the fore in late 2023, with @FPSthetics reposting a White Man Has Been Here meme about Capcom.

Some gamers and designers offered an alternative to the use of yellow paint in video games, with Cruelty Squad developer Ville Kallio dismissing playtest results and suggesting that people typically google "help stuck video game beginning area can't progress" to find solutions.

Meanwhile, X user @xArcky posted a parody version of overly obvious video game signage, joking about how one must climb the ladder to find "The Resident Evil."

What Are Some Memes People Made About The Yellow Paint In Video Games Debate?

For the full history of the yellow paint game design debate, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.