LJMU Board Games Commission
This project was easily one of my favourites to be a part of. I was approached by Liverpool John Moores University (more specifically their FAB Lab department) to help them to create 2 board games. These games were commissioned by different people/companies that wanted them for educational uses.
Shown below is the final printed product of the first board game we were assigned to, known as Research Roadmap Game. For this, I was given a very vague map of what the layout should look like. However, the owner let me have complete creative freedom when it came to the design and theme of the board and pieces, giving guidelines as I progressed.
I used Adobe Illustrator to create the design of the board, creating a grid where I created pixel art. I decided to give the board a desert theme, as if you're travelling along a highway. I created separate elements such as the houses and signs, then added them to where I felt fit at the end. I felt that adding the water feature really added some colour to what could have been a dull desert scene, also allowing me to create bridges that added versitility.
To create the car pieces shown below, I used Blender and modelled them in 3D. I chose to create a car to link with the highway theme that I created with the board design. Once I was happy with the design, I exported it out into Cura and 3D printed them using the Ultimaker printers provided by the University. I did the same with the token holder and counters shown below.
For the front cover of the box, the owner asked to keep it simple yet eye-catching. I simplified a part of the desert scene, keeping some of the water feature at the top, then added a part of the mountain at the bottom and a signpost that says the name of the board game in clear lettering. For the cards, I was also asked to keep these simple, so I used liminal space which worked effectively.
The last scene I created for the music event was Digital, where I wanted to create a cyberpunk-style city. I made a model of a building and then changed the size as I copied it around the scene, making some bigger and some smaller. I then added a particle system but lowered it closer to the ground. For the floor I made it water, to emphasize the lights in the reflections.
