Zoibu

little star, little me 

trying so hard to be free 

just floating and trying to see

other versions

I tried to create this same concept in different colors, but this one turned out slightly different

Made with handmade watercolors, colored pencils and a white ink

How it all started: 

I went to Antwerp to join the Game Jam there (thank you Pepijn, the organizer, for inviting me!) and it was the first time I traveled alone to another country, from The Netherlands to Belgium. 

I wanted to make a game where I could use my favorite technique, painting with watercolors and colored pencils. After hearing the theme Duality we did brainstorm sessions with all the participants after that we had time to pitch our idea. I wanted to make something about food, and about sharing or not sharing food.  

The image above is how I pitched the idea, it’s fun to see that the finished game still holds the same essence! I got Sander on board and that’s when Team Taart was born. 

The inner workings of Team Taart

Sander and I both knew what to do. The decorating (Art) was for me and the construction of the taart (Development) was for Sander. He was very willing to listen to my ideas and concepts, and he showed me how it would look together. The Friday evening was used for planning and sketching. The style was something I had total control of and asked Sander if he liked it, he did! 

Saturday was a day full of painting, scanning, and editing. I wanted to challenge myself with making traditional works for a digital game, and this turned out in our favor. The digital painting would have taken me longer, you have so much time to retry your strokes. But doing it traditionally you can see the imperfections and embrace them. All the textures that bloom with watercolors just embrace the feeling of the game.

Feedback from the other jammers: 

Piece by piece the game came together. At the game jam, we asked around to let people play our game. Some even compared it to a Wario Ware game, a small yet full of life minigame. On Sunday we had sound, effects and most things implemented. People liked the style and the handmade feeling of the game. The weekend was full of looking at everyone’s games and letting the others playtest our game. We, Sander and I, mostly discussed ourselfs and it just felt right. 

The assets were drawn like an assets pack. The pieces were made separately and added together digitally!

At the end of the jam, there was a small award show of the people who joined the Antwerp Game Jam, and to our surprise, Taart won the Grand Award. For my first time joining a Game Jam, this felt like an honor, and I can’t wait to join another one in the future!

Game trailer: