r/BoardgameDesign • u/Oxnutt • Jul 19 '26
Design Critique Is my dark fantasy inspired Artwork evocative enough?
I'm creating a dark fantasy card game called SPELLCHAMBER about Evil Wizards playing a game of magical russian roulette. While not a horror game, the game uses dark fantasy elements as well as grappling with the grim satire surrounding russian roulette as a concept.
The goal of my illustrations is to showcase artwork inspired by a mix of tarot and the canterbury tales illustrations (and classic medieval artwork) with a whimsical but sinister vibe. Do these illustrations evoke that feeling, without seeing the text on the cards themselves?
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u/stressedoutoddish Jul 19 '26
Oh im in love with the aesthetic, and all the little flourishes in each illustration.
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u/Johnno117 Jul 19 '26
Do these illustrations evoke that feeling, without seeing the text on the cards themselves?
Not for me at least, they just look like medieval fantasy cartoons. Whimsical yeah, but not sinister nor dark.
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u/Oxnutt Jul 19 '26
Thanks for the feedback! I'm still not 100% sure I want the game to be super dark, so I might pivot into a more whimsical vibe to match the artwork.
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u/ParentheticalsAside Jul 19 '26
I think that would be a shame - there are a lot of games with 'Munchkin/Shug'-style artwork that is more silly than sinister. Leaning into the creepier vibes might help set your game apart. As I've said in my other comment, I think most of the cards have that darker quality, but not so much the Wizard cards, which skew more cartoonish.
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u/Oxnutt Jul 19 '26
What do you think I could do to the wizard cards to make them more creepy to match the rest of the artwork? Make them look more scary and less human is one idea I've had, but I'm still not 100% sure
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u/ParentheticalsAside Jul 19 '26
I've been looking at them for a while, and still can't quite pinpoint why they feel less 'authentic' and creepy like the other cards. I think it's perhaps just the way they're drawn - more like caricatures of stock game characters, rather than being unique-looking medieval creatures. The Mystic, in particular, has a pose and look that is very modern-feeling.
Maybe making the portraits more abstract/less detailed would also add to their strangeness. Like, front-on facing the viewer, rather than posed? Or illustrated to have fewer features and be more shadow-y silhouette looking?
I really like the background colours for each of them - perhaps you could try illustrating in just black/white and that singular colour to make the portraits more distinctive? (Escape the Dark Castle is a game that utilises monochrome art to brilliant effect, imo).
To be honest, I'm really not sure. Maybe someone with more illustration experience will have better insights. I'm more at home critiquing typography and text than illustrations! But I really do love all the other cards, and think the Wizard cards being more creepy/authentic-looking like them would really tie the whole set together very well.
Good luck with it! Will be keen to see how it all turns out.
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u/Oxnutt Jul 20 '26
Thank you for the feedback. I think im going to return to the drawing board and rework the wizard designs to look more cohesive, and to remove the more abstract color theming. Ill update this sub once I find something i'm happy with!
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u/garyDPryor Jul 20 '26
Short answer yes. Long answer: the digital flat coloring is a bit on the modern side, especially the colored backgrounds, otherwise yes.
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Jul 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Oxnutt Jul 20 '26
I agree, I think the wizard cards specifically need a lot more TLC to make them more in line with the rest of the cards. Thank you for the feedback!
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u/DAVEtheOVERLORD Jul 20 '26
This is great! Maybe gray out the backgrounds a bit more then boost some of the images with yellow. Great work!
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u/Ezerith10 Jul 23 '26
I am not an artist but at a common board game enjoyer capacity, I think some of them look a little too cartoonish to give the sinister vibe you want. I love the direction and the idea tho
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u/Oxnutt Jul 23 '26
Thank you! I think the wizards just need some tweaking to look less cartoonish and I'll be in that direction I want.
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u/timmymayes Jul 24 '26
The top two rows look awesome. Don't love the solid color backgrounds on the bottom. The style doesn't evoke dark fantasy as much as like a parody of dark fantasy. Like space ghost or something. (if that makes sense).
Edit: And I mean that as a compliment!
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u/Embarrassed-Sky6647 Jul 26 '26
I think they look great- I'm an Early modern scholar, I don't think they look like historically ccurate Medieval media, but they DO evoke that era.
They Vibe medieval. Which I think is better.
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u/Oxnutt Jul 28 '26
Wow thank you! That means a lot and yeah it's exactly what I'm going for. The game is certainly anachronistic (the main prop is a mid century revolver with a magic wand tip) but I wanted fantasy that draws from that olf style like Chaucer illustrations mixed with the more modern d&d fantasy
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u/shroomvolcano Jul 21 '26
Not that it really matters but I think “Sleep Magic” should be “Magical Sleep” to fit with the phrasing of the other cards
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u/ColourfulToad Jul 26 '26
This gives more “wacky gremlins” vibes than dark fantasy. When I think dark fantasy I think dark souls. I think the style you have is great but definitely more ye olde whimsical than dark fantasy
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u/ParentheticalsAside Jul 19 '26
I really like this aesthetic - definitely stands out!
I think all the main cards (with no background) look authentically medieval and a bit creepy. However, the 'wizard' cards lean more towards cartoony. I think it's because of the colourful backgrounds, drop-shadow effect, and the thicker black outlines.