Entries are in for the 9 card nano contest

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Hook

I worked hard to get the rules done in time but Moogh and Nian are both “done”. Nian is a simple 9 card game with a Chinese new years theme – maybe it could have had more strategy and I hope that I can find the energy to explore the game.

Moogh ended up as a quite nice little game with a lot of things going on (I even stripped it down a lot). I think Moogh could work even better if there was no component restrictions – as it is now it suffers a little from the limited amount of tokens etc.

To write clear game rules is way more complicated than I initally thought it would be 🙂 During my final tests I played around in TableTopia and making the game playable online. You can take a look here

So I embrace the extra time I got. Currently I am working on making a Table Topia Tailored game – but I think I want to get a prototype done quickly to playtest the idea.

Last “wild” caveman …phew. now I just need to get the rules done.

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Hook

Graham Dolle about illustrating Dethroned – the real time card game

Posted on March 21, 2016April 3, 2017 by Hook

The great part about writing about art of games is that we choose what art to write about. Recently there have not been much catching our attention and it seems far between the games that receive the proper love on the artistic side. But then we stumble upon the pretty little card game called Dethroned -designed by Eliot ‘KiteLion’ Leo Carney-Seim. This is a hidden role cutthroat game without turns. The game is a pretty example on how you can make elegant card illustrations that together create a family of cards without over cluttering of details. The characters in the game each has their own story and is simple but expressive. We are happy that we got to talk with Graham Dolle about illustrating Dethroned, he is the artist behind the game. He recently moved from Maryland to Flagstaff, Arizona.

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Painting and illustrating games – a video timelapse

Posted on March 18, 2016March 18, 2016 by Hook

Painting and illustrating games can be a tough job. In many cases overly detailed art on games are not necessarily for the best – sometimes simple and expressive visuals do not clash with the gameplay. My characters for Moogh are on the more detailed end of the scale maybe – I try not to use too much time on each painting but instead focus on color and expression. Below you can see the front and back image for a card – and over on facebook I posted a timelapse video of the painting process if you are interested.

Cover job

Posted on March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 by Hook

Kai Bettzieche is working on a game for a singe page PnP game over at boardgamegeek. It is called Spider Chess. He called out for artist help to create a game cover and I took a shot at the challenge. I has been long since I used so much time on anatomy in a drawing – and thanks to Sycra on Youtube and to pinterest for the easy reference searching.

Ideas bouncing around for the BGG 1 page board game contests and the 9 card nanogame contest.

Posted on February 24, 2016February 24, 2016 by Hook

I (read Hook) just can’t stop those bubbling thoughts on fun game experiences. Participating in board game contests has several advantages:

You feel obligated to give you project an extra effort if people are following your work. Increasing the chance of reaching a final product.
You can get great ideas and confidence boosts from other designers.
You need to follow contest rules – and that can actually stir the creative process and push you in new directions – even making you eliminate otherwise overcomplicated choices.

The 9 card nano contest game is pretty much ready – except playtesting and components and… well the game is called Moogh:

The dark night goes pale. Slowly thin streaks of light lift up like hair and splits the insipid sky. A drop of blue slowly bleeds out in the ocean from the center and out.“Moogh” said the male tribe leader. All others around him in the cave opening knew what it meant. Gathering the stingers they made from flint and sticks they set off in the now golden pink but cold morning.

Scuffling through the dense woods and out in the plains they could see their prey towering in the distance under the sun which had now shown its full face. “Ugh Moogh Oog” they exclaimed. A few moments later it was all a vortex of hairs and muscle, blood sprouting,
shouting and stabbing their shafts with flint spearheads into the huge beast. The Mammoth chase had begun – Will they survive the fight and who will be the one that finish off the big beast

An idea for this mammoth chasing game I can’t let go is to force players speak cave-man language. Oh that could be soo fun. (“ook moogh sok thjak cof cof”).

The other game

The 1-page contest could be awesome to enter. I just love the idea of a good game printable from 1 page. Do you think 1 page games cater simulation games? Or even solo games. Well my game idea is a 1 page 1 player simulation game where you play a space prison warden. You get daily shipments of prisoners from all over the galaxy in all kinds of alien races. Can you keep the business going or will you be closed down from poor management. I don’t have a title yet so feel free to chip in.

I curious if this could be fun. In the beginning the idea was that you should draw walls on paper etc. but now I think the prisoners should be tokens placed on vertical section view of the ship.

4 games to rule them all. Great card game visuals.

Posted on February 23, 2016March 2, 2016 by Hook

We are well into the new year and gorgeous games keep rolling in. Let us sit back and enjoy a short glimpse of the eye candy out there. Here is 4 games we have chosen to highlight. Council of Blackthorn, Neolithic, SillyStreet and Strife:Shadows&steam; ALL producing great card game visuals.

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Celebrating the board game art of games with two “Golden Hooked Brush Awards”

Posted on February 15, 2016February 15, 2016 by Hook

It is time for another round of Gold Hooked Brush Award. Okay okay! I know this award yet is unofficial and currently given to who we at GHG think deserves it….and maybe the award statuette image is a bit cheesy 🙂 (what do you think?) BUT board game ART definitely need a Gold Hooked Brush Award.

This month we will celebrate it with two very different expressions of card illustrations that highlight the fact that great art for games comes in many different forms. The award goes too….

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Kyle Key use the Apple Pen to control the design of Control

Posted on February 15, 2016April 3, 2017 by Hook

What is the best choice of visuals for your game? Many games could have had a completely different approach to the art and would it still be the same game experience? Control is a new strategic card game, designed by Mattox Shuler and Kyle Key from Keymaster Games. The game art comes across as strong and bold with an graphic novel style wrapped in a sharp and elegant design. With its black, white, gold and silver colored cards – Control stands out as an piece of art itself. We asked the artist Kyle Key about the design and we discover that he does all the artwork on an Ipad Pro. He currently lives in Athens, Ga. USA with his wife Julie and their 11 month old daughter Emory.

A quick visit on your dribble and ink365 page shows a portfolio with strong graphical design items like logos and posters but also some traditional pen and paper skills. Do you think of yourself more as an designer or illustrator? And what was your role on the game Control?

If I had to pick between the two, I’m going to lean towards illustrator.I started with a fine art background and actually have a degree in painting. Design and working on branding elements came after I already had a traditional art background so I would have to lean on my roots. My work on the game Control from an art standpoint has been a great example of me designing and illustrating for the same project. My role included the creation of monoline design elements on the backs of the cards and box as well as the 50’s sci-fi style illustrations for the fronts of the cards. The layout of the cards and typeface was created by Mattox Shuler of Fort Foundry, who is also the game play designer. I served as an advisor to Mattox on the game mechanics since this would be the first game published under my board game company, Keymaster Games.

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Learn how Marco Bucci unfold the karmic universe of Karmaka with his vibrant art

Posted on February 11, 2016April 3, 2017 by Hook

Making a strategic board game around the karmic universe is a great idea. Letting Marco Bucci unfold the visual landscape is an equally great idea. Following the hemispheregames duo Eddy Boxerman and Dave Burke leads us to the upcoming card game Karmaka. Eddy and Dave has been praised for their digital game Osmos.

The art of Karmaka is vivid and captivating. Karmaka defiantly takes an untraditional direction in its visual landscape. This is what Marco Bucci from Toronto, Canada, tells us about his work.

Color and light seems like one of your passions. How do you find the Karmaka color’s and when did you decide on the card distinction with color?

Yes, you’re totally right: capturing color and light is the reason I paint! The paintings in Karmaka were interesting because they came with an inherent limitation.

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Unboxing the art of board games

Author: Hook