Author: Hook

Moogh is not dead yet

Posted on by Hook

I can see there is some activity on the print & play files for Moogh, and on that note, I want to share the current progress on Moogh 2.0.

I am working on an extra set of cavemen so that it is possible to play 3 players with each 2 characters. From the feedback (if you played it – I will be soo happy if you took a minute to fill the form ) I got on the game I will try to make the abilities more co-operative.

 

Maybe I will make one character able to get the wounded back into the fight. I am considering to have 3 leaders and 3 sidekicks that can be combined to 9 possible group setups. I do not know if I need some kind of initiative. Currently the phases are: caveman a1+b2  -> moogh -> a2 + b1 -> moogh.  But if we say a1+c1+b2 ->moogh -> a2+c2+b1 ->moogh, who will then go first?

 

Well anyway here is a sneak detail from the work in progress of the new female  character and the brute:)

brute shaman

 

On an end note I gotta back this!! Cavemen miniatures.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1959627361/flytrap-factory-presents-caveman-vs-wild-the-big-c?ref=category

I am afraid the game is an ideaclone but this one is not really 🙂

Prehistoric card game on KS 

or this –

Caveman game nr 3

The experience geek & game graphic designer Peter Wocken

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Many of the artists that I have interviewed are more illustrators than graphic designers (even if that distinction is a fluid line) I would say that the man from Minneapolis, MN, I have at the table today is an all-round artist with a predominance to the design. He worked with several big game companies during the last decade and has a lot of experience in working with graphic design in games. Welcome Peter Wocken.

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Quick, gritty and intense visuals from Snorre Krogh

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Working out of Copenhagen in the field of Danish advertising everyone knows the storyboard artist Snorre Krogh – or at least I do! But I did not know that he is part of the game company Plotmaker Games and artist on their latest game London Dread. It is a is a dark and gritty cooperative game set in Victorian England designed by Asger Johansen. Players take on the role of investigators trying to uncover plots on the way to confronting a story specific finale. Snorre’s art is all about telling a story and is highly immersive. So I am very proud to present a glimpse into the quick, gritty and intense visuals from Snorre Krogh on London Dread – in this extensive interview. Enjoy!

London Dread

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Fall temperature on kickstarters good looking games

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Browsing the new arrivals on kickstarter these days – and even filtering by popularity, there is a scarcity of good looking games. I will make conclusions on a game artistic level before they it is published. Like the game “The End is Nigh” from Mystic Ape Games that looks really promising as a game but hard to evaluate artistically from only two partly finished cards. There is a lot of hype around the Post Human creator new game Vengeance. The design looks okay but I love the character illustrations by swedish Axel Torvenius.

Art by Axel Torvenius
Art by Axel Torvenius

Here is a few good looking games that I think you should take a look on.

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What makes great tabletop and board game art?

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You all know that feeling when you look at a tabletop game while  drool drips from your lower lip because you forgot to close your mouth in mere awe. That is the result of great tabletop and board game art?

 

The question ‘What makes great tabletop and board game art?’ is almost as subjective a subject as ‘What is great art?’. But there is a small difference. Unless you buy board games exclusively to exhibit on your shelf as an art piece, there is a purpose to the art of the game. Games are usually an interwoven web of design and illustration that holds the objective of helping immerse you into the game’s universe, guiding you along with the rules, without working against them. Take a look at some cards below from three very succesfull games – is it great board game art?? They all create a feeling that match gameplay.

 

Three succesfull games. From left to right: Exploding Kittens, Race for the Galaxy and Munchkin
From left to right: Exploding Kittens, Race for the Galaxy and Munchkin

 

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A different perspective. Interview with Henk Rolleman

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An associated art form to board games is the wonderful world of photography. In a time where social spaces online drive board game buzz – game photography has become an valuable and common sight. Pictures of games can bring out a different perspective on the game – staging meeples and game components for a beautiful shot.

I like to make a shoot where you can feel en see something like Terra Mystica and Settlers of Catan which have a lot of components, colors, shapes.

One photographer I have come across is the talented Henk Rolleman from Eemdijk near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. I’ve asked Henk some questions about photography of games.

MachiKoro

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5 additional questions for the master of board game art

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We are proud to bring you a look into the process of a master board game artist – Vincent Dutrait here.

We did ask some extra questions you might find interesting or funny 🙂

 

Why are so many great illustrators french?

 

I think because of the story of the “bande dessinée” in France. We (me and other illustrations) “eat” a lot images from many many different sources. So I think that the culture of image is really strong in France. And also, we have some perfect Art Schools but more Applied Arts Schools, this is a huge nuance!

 

Have you ever experienced that a game designer changed his game because he was inspired by your art, or because you had some comments?

 

Yes, and because I’m involving more and more in the development of board games, publishers and designers ask for my help and thoughts really soon, during the very first steps to find the best way to mix the substance and the style, the gameplay and illustrations.

 

What game artwork from all you have done are you personally most satisfied with?

 

Hmmm, difficult. I think that the duo Lewis & Clark + Discoveries is a great one because it’s my complete point of view, in two parts, about this great journey. And also the incoming Rising 5. Because I waited for a long time to do Science-Fiction illustrations and I can put all my ideas here!

R5_Board_06

When making many cards for a game (like Rising5) what paper size do you make a card in – a5?

 

Original art for a Rising5 card is about 10x15cm up to 20cm for height

 

Read the full interview here.

 

[easingslider id=”836″]

 

Vincent Dutrait – master of board game art

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If there is such thing as an famous board game artist it must be Vincent Dutrait – master of board game art. The sheer number of successful titles, using his handcrafted images, make him very hard to overlook. Famous people have fans – and we at GHG are definitely fans of Vincent. That is why we hope you will enjoy his answers to our questions for him as much as we did. Vincent is from France but lives and work out of Korea. Let’s get rolling with,

Vincent Dutrait – master of board game art

Medici close up

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Diverted.

Posted on by Hook

Often when I work on a game my mind gets overheated of thinking mechanics over and over. And often when I need to work on one thing my mind drifts and solves a problem on another game/idea.

 

This happend yesterday when I was thinking about my Solitare entry that is now under the working title (Hantshire huntress or house hunter) I got to think about the 24h game submission I made on “kittens”.

 

In my first draft I had cubes representing energy. The cubes was then placed in diffrent ares depending if you moved down or up. I addition there was power cards you could play from the hand. Now thinking about it a couple of weeks later I get the idea. Why not only have cards.. and the cards represent the energy when you play the and at the same time they are special powers. Maybe its hard to visualize.. but I got all jazzed about it and went straight home to design on it. Maybe there will be a kitten game soon 😀

 

 

So on an end note.. which is better for a fun and cute experience.. A or B ???

 

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Trying to wrestle a new category. The solitare PnP

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In my head I carried two solitare games I wanted to make. In my initial sketchbook notes I could not get one to work so I decided to focus on the second one.

 

prototypecards

 

The theme is early 20th. century wildlife hunting. I will make this a story based game with “missions” to complete for progress.

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