Why Players Are Tired Of Yellow Paint
Over the last few years, one unexpected topic has kept popping up in gaming discussions. Yellow paint. From Stellar Blade and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to Star Wars Outlaws, more and more games highlight climbable ledges and paths with bright yellow markings so players always know where to go.
On paper, it makes sense. Clear visual guidance helps players move through complex levels without getting stuck. But many players and critics feel that yellow paint has become an overused shortcut that makes game worlds look artificial and breaks immersion.
Developers themselves are split. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi has said there is definitely a need for that kind of guidance even if players dislike it. Meanwhile, The Witcher 4's lead designer has argued that the real problem is not the color itself, but lazy use of a single trick instead of a whole toolkit of subtle design cues.
So what could replace the infamous yellow paint? Here are several creative alternatives that show how navigation and guidance can be built into game worlds in more interesting and immersive ways.
Smarter In Game Guidance Systems
One big opportunity is to weave guidance into the world and its characters instead of just painting ledges. These ideas keep players on track while still letting them feel like they are discovering things themselves.
A faithful dog companion
Fable 2 already showed how powerful a smart companion can be. Its dog would dig up treasure, help in combat, and crucially point you toward objectives. Imagine that idea pushed further in modern games. If you stay stuck for a while, your dog might bark, trot a few steps toward the correct direction, or stare at a key route until you notice.
Compared to a talkative sidekick like Atreus in God of War Ragnarok, a dog has two advantages. It does not spam verbal hints and it cannot just outright spoil the puzzle. You still have to interpret its behavior. That makes it feel like a natural part of the world instead of a big neon arrow.
This kind of system can act as an accessibility feature too. Players who struggle with navigation can lean on the dog more heavily, while confident players can simply ignore it most of the time.
Navigational weather
Ghost of Tsushima introduced a brilliant trick with its Guiding Wind. Instead of a big waypoint marker in the sky, the wind itself blows in the direction of your objective. It is immersive, subtle, and thematically perfect for the game.
There is a lot of unexplored space in that idea. Other games could use weather and environmental effects as navigation tools. For example:
- Rain could fall at a slight angle pointing toward your goal.
- Thunder could rumble more strongly when you face the right direction.
- Lightning could briefly highlight the next path or ledge.
This keeps the world atmospheric and immersive while still giving players a clear but non intrusive guide. It does not feel like a UI overlay, it feels like the world itself is whispering hints.
Dynamic in world signage
Mafia: The Old Country featured a very clever quality of life system. When you set a destination on the map, the game would automatically generate physical road signs along the route in the world itself. That meant you could follow signs instead of constantly glancing at a minimap.
This idea could be extended beyond driving games. Any game where navigation matters could spawn context appropriate markers that fit into the environment. In a city you might see posters or arrows on walls. In a sci fi base you might follow flickering holographic indicators. The key is that the signs look like they belong instead of feeling like developer graffiti.
This is more work to implement, especially in games with many different environments, but it is a strong way to keep players engaged with the world rather than staring at a minimap or following a bright paint trail.
Making Help Systems Actually Fun
Another angle is to accept that players will sometimes get stuck and build support tools that are entertaining instead of patronising.
The Riddlemaster
One reason yellow paint annoys players is that it feels like the game does not trust them. You are not solving a problem, you are just being pointed like a child. A more playful approach would be an optional character or system that offers cryptic hints.
Imagine a summonable NPC known as the Riddlemaster. Whenever you are lost or stuck, you can call on them to receive a riddle or clue about what to do next. The hint helps you move forward, but you still have to think. Navigation itself becomes a tiny puzzle instead of a passive follow the sign exercise.
This approach is harder to build because every potential sticking point needs a useful and readable riddle. Done well though, it turns a basic hint system into a memorable feature and keeps players feeling respected rather than lectured.
Over the top divine intervention
If the core issue is not subtlety but boredom, one extreme solution would be to make guidance so spectacular that players actually look forward to it. Picture this. You struggle for ten minutes on a rock climbing section. Suddenly the sky rumbles, clouds split open, and a giant glowing hand from the heavens points dramatically toward the correct path while a booming voice yells This way, idiot.
It is ridiculous, but that is the point. Instead of quietly hiding the guidance, this idea embraces it and turns it into a full blown event. You could use it sparingly as a special ability with a cooldown, or reserve it for accessibility modes. Either way it proves guidance does not have to be dull or invisible to work.
What This Means For Game Design
Yellow paint is not going away completely. For many players it is practical, readable, and accessible. But the recent debate around it shows that modern gamers expect more thoughtful navigation and level design, especially in high budget titles.
The most promising direction is not to find one magic replacement, but to treat navigation as a system with many tools. Companion behavior, environmental effects, smart signage, optional hint characters and dramatic set piece guidance can all live side by side. Used together, they keep players moving without constantly reminding them they are being guided.
For PC gamers and game developers alike, this is ultimately about immersion. The less you have to stare at a minimap or follow bright paint, the more you can focus on the world, the combat, the story and of course your frame rate and graphical settings. Clever navigation systems are another step toward games that feel richer, smarter and more alive.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/since-everyone-got-mad-about-yellow-paint-again-this-year-here-are-5-alternatives-i-propose-to-help-players-find-their-way-around-in-2026/
