Wildfire Game
Illustration and Game Design
Art Direction: Soonduk Krebs
Overview
Wildfire is a tabletop game concept inspired by strategic cooperative games and the 2019 Australian wildfires that devastated wildlife and natural habitats. The project was designed to create an immersive, story-driven experience that could introduce players to tabletop RPG-inspired gameplay in a more approachable way.
The goal was to combine illustration, worldbuilding, and interactive design into a cohesive game system that balanced strategy, accessibility, and visual storytelling.
Approach
Wildfire consists of several core game components, including Nature cards, Burn cards, Character cards, and interactive floor tiles that shift between “flourishing” and “burning” states throughout gameplay. Each element was designed to support both the mechanics of the game and the overall narrative experience.
Character cards introduced unique player abilities, while the rulebook provided setup instructions, gameplay mechanics, lore, and worldbuilding to help immerse players in the experience from the start.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I lost access to many of the physical production resources originally planned for the project. As a result, I shifted focus toward creating a polished digital presentation for the game and its components.
Click on the cards below to see them flip over.
Expansion
To expand the project beyond the tabletop experience, I designed a companion website for the game. The site introduced the world of Wildfire, explained gameplay mechanics, and provided additional information about wildfire awareness and wildlife preservation.
The goal was to create a digital space that extended the game’s storytelling while reinforcing the environmental themes that inspired the project.
Design Process
One of the main challenges of the project was maintaining a cohesive illustration style across multiple card types, game components, and layouts. I wanted the visuals to feel organic and atmospheric while still remaining functional and readable during gameplay.
To maintain consistency, I developed a shared color palette inspired by wildfire photography and natural environments, and regularly moved between components during the illustration process to ensure the visual language stayed cohesive across the system.
Research
Research played an important role in shaping both the gameplay experience and narrative direction of the project. I explored tabletop game mechanics, storytelling techniques, and visual approaches commonly used in cooperative strategy games.
I also researched wildfire causes, environmental impact, and wildlife conservation to help inform the game’s lore and thematic direction. This combination of gameplay and topical research helped create a more immersive and meaningful player experience.
Prototyping and Testing
After defining the game mechanics and components, I created early prototypes to test gameplay balance, pacing, and usability. Playtesting helped identify opportunities to improve the overall challenge level and better understand how players interacted with the different systems and components.
This process was valuable in refining both the gameplay experience and the visual communication of the game itself.