My Roles
Web Design, Graphic Design, Illustration
Tools I Used
Figma, itch.io
Overview
Arena of the Mad King is a digital PC game project that I began developing in June 2020. It is a fantasy action game with a retro, grimdark theme. It currently has a free demo available. However, it needed an online presence containing information, videos, screenshots, links, and a button to download the demo. I designed and and released this site in October 2020.
Live website: https://alienfae.itch.io/aotmk
Objective
Design and develop a one-page website for the purpose of distributing the game demo and garnering interest. Develop brand guidelines and select corresponding colours and fonts based on the game’s visual content.
Process
Rather than developing the website from scratch, I researched existing independent game platforms for the following reasons:
- Increased visibility from the platform’s existing users.
- Having a well-supported content management and blog system for game downloads and media.
- Community building through comments, forums and blog posts.
- Ease of development and maintainability.
I chose the platform Itch.io, as its page editor allows pages to be designed by modifying settings for typography, colours, and layout settings. I designed the website with these limitations in mind, focusing on colour and typography to match the theme of the game. I started with the web style guide to validate the general concept. Then, I arranged the copy and screenshots.
Outcome
This website brought very successful results. Due to the website on Itch.io, the Arena of the Mad King game demo has been downloaded 10,000+ times and was able to cultivate a community following. It has also attracted the attention of popular content creators. The game has been streamed live on Twitch by a streamer with 12 million+ followers.
Style Guide
Final Design
Game Design & Development
Video and images of the Arena of the Mad King game. The process behind the project is coming soon!