High thematic statement

A star has fallen from the sky and the race is on to go claim it. However, the monsters around the area will not make it easy. Players can choose to play as a warrior, rogue, or wizard to blast through enemies by choosing powerful spells or attacks and casting them as quickly as possible while dodging enemy blows to stay alive. Stelliform is a real-time action card game that relies on quick swiping mechanics, split-second decision making, and pre-game planning.

Character design

I never had the chance to creatively and cohesively design high-fidelity vector illustrations before doing so for Stelliform. This was a really satisfying experience because it taught me more about digitally sketching and rendering in Illustrator, which is something I always wanted to practice and improve. I learned to navigate the tools and strokes in Illustrator while creating original characters, from scratch, with a cohesive style.

Initial character sketches

I used a drawing tablet and Photoshop to create initial sketches of character concepts that I could later on vectorize and clean up in Illustrator. These designs typically started off in my notebook as little pencil sketches!

Final Character Designs

The final vectorized illustrations of the mobile game characters.

Gameplay screens

The gameplay was difficult to conceptualize and sort through at times due to the complexity of the game and how vast the mechanics and elements spanned. Thinking through how the cards are associated with each other, their damage, combinations, and gestures was an arduous but necessary process that resulted in an interesting and appealing narrative.

Story screens

The beginning of the game showcases the context behind the battles. The story is set in a mysterious environment where the player is called upon to retrieve a fallen star, but is faced with treacherous monsters on the way.

Gameplay screenshots

These screenshots feature the different areas of the game including the title screen, glossary, level select, and live battles.

Final thoughts

Since the mobile game industry is so saturated, it was difficult to ideate and innovate effectively in such a short period of time. Even though it was hard to try and differentiate our game from those in the market in such a short period of time, it was a really gratifying experience that allowed me to hone in on my illustration and interaction design skills in a new medium for a new purpose. It was rewarding seeing the game come to life, and I would love to work on games in the future.