April 2022
The Challenge
During winter break of my second year at Miami University, I decided to create a new universe combining folk and sci-fi horror into one. Creating a narrative design document, I was able to create a world with incredible depth and interesting characters.
Tasked with creating a project in my "Storytelling as a Startup" class, I decided to create a board game with a deep, intense story that wasn't so obvious upon the first play through.
Key art (1)
Key art (1)
The Solution
I did a tremendous amount of research on how different types of games make horror work, garnering inspiration from the Five Nights at Freddy's series and Arkham Horror especially. By making the concrete focus of the game its story, I was able to create an in-depth plot line that could only be followed if players seriously payed attention to their surroundings. With this naturally came the horror elements.
Beyond learning how to create horror, I stepped outside of my comfort zone to learn how to create artwork for my monster cards. I believe that as a creative, you should be proficient in all aspects of the job: from the design to the artwork. While I could have outsourced or used stock images, learning how to draw allowed me to add key elements to the monster design that added to the overall story of the game. Additionally, I learned how to direct a short film advertisement for the game. In collaboration with some friends, we were able to write, shoot, and edit the short film all within a week.
Colored game board
Wickerthorn monster card (1)
Wickerthorn monster card (2)
The Story
As new recruits of the central government power known as MOON, you are tasked with inspecting all corners of recently foreclosed buildings. However, while searching these buildings, you can’t shake the feeling of uneasiness radiating through the halls. After abandonment, the cunning wickerthorn monsters began to patrol these buildings, making your job much more difficult than it should be. Navigate through buildings and complete your task list, all while avoiding the dangerous wickerthorn monsters in order to appease MOON.
The Tools
Adobe Illustrator: used to create logos, general graphics, game pieces, cards, game boards
Adobe Photoshop: used to create wickerthorn monster card art
Adobe InDesign: used to create print-ready layouts of the game pieces
Adobe Dimension: used to create the product mockup
Adobe Premiere Pro: used to edit the short film "first inspection"