Lost in Random

A title with a grip

The logo needed to carry the world of Random even when it appeared alone. Using illustration references from the game’s developer, Zoink, I led the team’s exploration of lettering, composition and readability.

We extended the Queen’s hand into the ‘R’, gripping the hero’s sidekick, Dicey. The gesture brought her control over Random and the threat to the hero’s journey into the mark.

I guided refinements across stacked, horizontal and monogram versions. Full-color, one-color and animated treatments preserved its character across different sizes, formats and backgrounds.

Where to look first

There was plenty to include in the key art: the protagonist’s search for her sister, the Queen’s control, the characters encountered along the way and the game’s blend of dice, cards and board-game mechanics. The game developer wanted it all.

The challenge was deciding what people should notice first and what they could discover in the details. Four characters needed to anchor the image: the protagonist, Dicey, her sister and the Queen looming over them all.

Finding the story

I led our in-house illustrators through an initial set of concepts, each emphasizing a different part of the game. Some made the Queen an overwhelming presence. Others focused on the partnership with Dicey, the journey through the realms or the precariousness of a world governed by chance.

Working with EA and Zoink, I presented the directions and guided refinements. The sketches let us compare different ways of telling the story before committing to the detail of the finished illustration.

Portrait and landscape studies also brought the format requirements into the discussion early. A promising composition needed room for the title and messaging, with its central relationships intact as the proportions changed.

Bringing the world into focus

With the direction selected, I worked with Mighty Canvas in Vancouver, Canada, to develop the composition and look of the illustration. Together with Zoink in Sweden, the project brought an international team of illustrators around a shared direction.

Characters and environments accumulated around the central story. Each addition needed a place without becoming another focal point.

Light, color, and levels of detail helped establish that order. The surrounding cast and architecture formed an enclosing frame, bringing depth and the flavor of the six realms into the image without pulling attention from the central story.

Zoink remained closely involved throughout. Its art director worked over the developed illustration, bringing the layering and treatment of light closer to the game’s particular visual style.

Beyond the key art

The marketing needed to feel like it belonged to Random even when the full key art wasn’t present.

We drew from the game’s environments and UI to develop patterns, iconography, textures and a supporting palette. Framing, calls to action, lower thirds and video transitions gave EA a set of elements for building further communications.

The language could support a character introduction, gameplay footage or a simple message without relying on the same image every time.

The key art introduced the world. The supporting language let the marketing keep telling its stories.