How Real Street Artworks from Brazil Came to Life in Ghetto Zombies: Graffiti Squad

Despite being a zombie outbreak story in which the hood becomes humanity’s last line of defense, the developers’ aimed to create a colorful, high-spirited game, steering away from harsh themes and the daily struggles faced by Brazil’s outskirts.

“The biggest inspiration was, without a doubt, the desire to see our reality represented in the media. The hood can also be a game setting and deserves to be seen,” explains Rafael Assunção, Art Producer at Fogo Games.

In order to achieve this vision, the game features authorized and credited artworks by real graffiti artists, especially from Grajaú, São Paulo’s South Zone, to add more authenticity to the final product.

“The idea of featuring graffiti by real artists came primarily from one of the game’s creators, Samuel Aragão, who was deeply immersed in graffiti culture at the time. The works combine pieces by artists we know personally with others we admire. When we reached out, they welcomed us warmly and offered full support” says Rafael.

Ghetto Zombies: Graffiti Squad’s soundtrack was directed with the goal of exploring various Brazilian rhythms found in popular culture, especially those from the urban outskirts.

According to the development team, the sound design relied on genres that feature a “synthesized” sonority, using digitalized instruments, much like the rhythms commonly heard from speakers in the Brazilian streets, including reggae, funk, and hip hop.

The battle music is also inspired by the first generation of Brazilian funk that lit up dance floors in the 1990s.

“This creates a soundtrack that’s connected to the culture of the streets, while still being danceable and enhancing the gameplay. It also fits perfectly within the ‘video game music’ aesthetic because of its chiptones,” according to Rafael.