✨ Prompting Guide
Writing effective prompts is key to getting high-quality, playable content from Jabali. Whether you’re designing rich characters, atmospheric levels, or game assets, this guide will help you prompt like a pro.
🎮 What Are Prompts?
Prompts are short text descriptions you provide to Jabali that guide AI-generated content. Think of them as your way of “telling” Jabali what kind of game, scene, or character you want — in natural language.
Prompts power generation for:
- Game settings (theme, setting, visual style)
- Scenes and levels
- Characters and dialogue
- Assets (images, sounds, backgrounds)
🧠 General Prompt Tips
- Be specific but concise
- Use vivid, descriptive language
- Think like a screenwriter or game designer
- Don’t worry about grammar — clarity matters more than perfect syntax
✅ Good Prompt:
A foggy graveyard under a full moon, overgrown with weeds and crumbling statues. A lone ghost waits by an old mausoleum.
❌ Weak Prompt:
A spooky level.
🗺️ Game Concept Prompts
When starting a new game, begin with a clear description of your idea. A well-structured game prompt should cover:
| Component | Example |
|---|---|
| Genre | Visual novel, roguelite RPG, arcade shooter |
| Setting | A haunted forest, alien planet, steampunk city |
| Main Character | A detective squirrel, a lonely robot, a retired space captain |
| Tone/Theme | Whimsical, dark mystery, coming-of-age, redemption |
Example Prompt:
A cozy visual novel set in a sleepy seaside village, where the player is a retired pirate solving magical mysteries. The theme is healing and found family.
🧍 Character Prompts
Character prompts have two parts:
- Physical Description – What the character looks like
- Outfit Description – What they’re wearing
📌 Format:
Physical: [body type, features, expression, species]
Outfit: [clothing style, materials, accessories]
✅ Example:
Physical: A short elf with fiery red hair, golden eyes, and a mischievous smile.
Outfit: Wears a green cloak, leather boots, and carries a crystal-tipped staff.
🖼️ Asset Prompts (Backgrounds, Objects)
Image prompts help Jabali generate game visuals. Use them to request scenes, items, and environmental art.
🖼️ Background Example:
A moonlit forest with glowing mushrooms, viewed from a top-down perspective. Pixel art style.
📦 Object Example:
A treasure chest made of obsidian and lined with glowing runes. Isometric view.
Tips:
- Mention the art style (pixel art, 80s arcade, flat design)
- Include perspective if relevant (top-down, side view)
- Add atmosphere (foggy, cozy, neon-lit, rainy)
❌ Common Prompting Mistakes
| Mistake | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|
| Too short | Add details (what, where, how it looks/sounds) |
| Too vague | Use genre, mood, and action words |
| Conflicting styles | Stick to one aesthetic (e.g., don’t mix “pixel art” and “realistic”) |
| Describing gameplay rules | Focus on what appears, not how it functions (for assets) |
🧪 Iterate and Improve
Not happy with the result? Refine and retry.
- Add adjectives to clarify tone (“a gloomy forest” instead of “a forest”)
- Break up long ideas into smaller prompts
- Use the regenerate option to explore variations
🧰 Advanced Prompting Tips
- Reference styles you like (e.g., “like an 80s anime”, “Tim Burton-inspired”)
- Use metaphor or tone words to influence aesthetics (“haunted carnival with a playful vibe”)
- Layer prompts across different scenes and characters to maintain consistency