EPOCH
Game Design | Design Systems | Illustration | Motion Graphics
EPOCH began as a concept to create a horror-themed game with a theme I did not see enough of during my market research: accurate dinosaurs. With many existing games modeling their content off of a certain movie franchise, I decided to create a game where players can learn as well as play without feeling juvenile. My goal while creating this project was to create a cohesive visual identity as well as a playable game. EPOCH is a multidisciplinary project. It utilized graphic design, illustration, and UX all in one.
The Rundown
EPOCH revolves around a group of explorers that crash land in the prehistoric past, ripping through the fabric of space-time. As a result, multitudes of creatures around the world and across the Mesozoic are crossing your path as you search for missing parts to assemble your escape shuttle.
Your goal is to defeat or evade these threats before facing off against one of the Big Bosses, some of the most dangerous creatures of all time. The problem? Only one traveler fits in the shuttle. Will you utilize your resources wisely to arrive first in one piece, or will you sabotage your crewmates in order to ensure your own survival?
Creature Feature
The goal of designing these creatures was to maintain accuracy while creating something uncanny. One of the challenges I faced was figuring out how I would make it seem as if the animals were interacting with the player. Not every creature looks intimidating from the front. Many hours were spent experimenting with posing and composition.
As for the boss cards, I wanted visual cues that separated them from the other creatures. These ones feel larger than life and break free from their constraints, coming to get you.
Spared no expense
For the visuals, I researched what other tabletop games were doing. I looked at their cards, their boxes, their boards, everything that would need a graphic. While there is room for creativity, many games have set designs that players expect when playing specific games, such as attack and defense stats in the corners, or flavor text on the bottom third of the card.
Concurrent with the development of the visual identity, I had to develop the gameplay. This was a combination of research of game mechanics and user testing, where I would then record feedback and implement revisions. After a few attempts, a full game was played and completed (with one very smug victor.)