While Gower wanted to honor the video game's original design, he also saw the opportunity for creativity. In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said that because the show expands beyond the confines of the game, he sought to incorporate a wider range of colors when creating the Clickers.
Specifically, he imagined the environment would have an impact on the Clickers' appearance. A lush setting might result in "vibrant, rich colors," while a drier climate might make them look muted. "There was the benchmark — traditional orange and yellows and grays that we had in the game — but we were gonna be in lots of different environments during 'The Last of Us' season 1," Gower said. "Maybe as the franchise progressed, we might find climate changes; locations are gonna change; and heat, whether you are in dry or moist environments. It could also be a seasonal change. So we just said, 'Could all this have an impact on the color, the finish, and the texture of the Infected?'"
