Attribute-Aware Design
Working with colour clash
Attribute-aware design on the ZX Spectrum embraced hardware limitations, using colour clash as aesthetic choice rather than fighting against it.
Overview
The ZX Spectrum’s attribute system allowed only two colours per 8x8 pixel block—a limitation that caused “colour clash” when sprites crossed boundaries. Some developers fought this; others embraced it. Attribute-aware design worked with the hardware: using monochrome areas, aligning sprites to colour blocks, and choosing palettes that minimised visual disruption.
Fast facts
- Hardware: Spectrum’s attribute system.
- Limitation: two colours per 8x8 block.
- Clash effect: colour bleeding across sprites.
- Solutions: design around constraints, not against them.
- Notable games: Knight Lore, Head Over Heels, monochrome aesthetic games.
Design strategies
Working with attributes:
- Monochrome games: single colour avoids clash entirely.
- Block alignment: sprites match 8x8 grid.
- Colour zones: background areas with consistent palette.
- Strategic masking: hide clash in movement.
Games that mastered it
Effective attribute-aware design:
- Ultimate games: isometric 3D with monochrome clarity.
- Ocean Batman: used limited palette effectively.
- Dizzy series: colourful but carefully designed.