- Nell's Wizard Adventure -

While planning out the theme of our endless runner, we wanted to address our general scope at the same time. By creating thumbnails and identifying clear scenes during a team meeting, we were able to quickly begin developing the project with everyone on the same page.

I was given creative freedom with Nell, and worked to visualize an interesting and memorable character with clear shape language. Since our game has no story elements, I conceptualized wizards with a focus on key identifiable hairstyles. Nell won out due to their sharp angles and low ponytail giving them a sense of cheeky pride and explosive confidence, perfect for a kid running through the forest on their own.

Potions are one of the most common magical items in fantasy worlds, so there were many references available to me in terms of shape and iconography. We decided to keep it simple, with large icons to help reinforce the elements apart from color, and a spiked texture to help them look charged with magic. Obstacles were created the same way, with a focus on immediate recognizability.

Creating our magical forest started with figuring out the kinds of trees and layering fit our brightly animated character. We didn't want the player to feel particularly small but still feel that looming unknown that comes with dashing into a grove of trees that all look similar. Vines became a necessary detail as the overgrown jungle became a larger part of our inspiration. Combining them into the separate palettes below helps us mark the passage of time in-game as well as stage progression.