Hi Fleetbreakers,
This week, Jason, our Art Director, wanted to share some insight into how we approach relic iconography in Fleetbreakers. Relics have always been the more flexible part of our item ecosystem. They aren’t meant to feel as serious or component‑driven as techs or enhancements, which gives us room to make them playful, strange, and memorable. If a rubber ducky or a pile of eyeballs fits the vibe, we let it happen.
Relics also need to communicate rarity clearly, even though much of our UI leans monochromatic. Players should be able to instantly recognize the quality of what they’ve picked up. At the same time, the icons have to remain readable at very small sizes, especially on Steam Deck. If an idea didn’t hold up when scaled down, we reworked it until the silhouette and details stayed clear.
To balance personality with readability, Jason landed on a style that keeps the monochromatic foundation but tints the linework toward a darker version of the rarity color. Beneath that, a halftone layer carries the full rarity color. The combination gives each relic a distinct identity while still fitting into the broader UI. Thick, simple linework keeps everything readable, even in the middle of combat.
Here’s a selection of some of the finished relic icons so far.