A Raven scrapbook
Staring at a project every day makes it easy to forget how it’s changed over time. I thought it would be cool to collect a bunch of milestones from Raven and put them side by side.
Original card design
Before I started any coding, I wanted to figure out what my cards would look like. I recreated the original Rook cards, and used them for inspiration.
The original Rook cards recreated in Adobe illustrator. Not 100% accurate, but close enough for inspiration.
Next, I used Google’s Material Design style and my basic graphic design skills to create some mock-ups. When I was done, I was left with two versions. I favored version 2, and used these in my first version of Raven.
Version 1: the basics
After I was happy with my card design, I started working on the core functionality of the game. At this point, implementing the game rules were top priority. The art was simple to keep focus, and my start menu was an afterthought.
Version 2: make it pretty
After I had the basics down, I had an idea. One of the reasons I enjoyed Rook so much is the memories I have playing it. Whether it’s a camping trip, fall break in a cabin, or a trip to the beach or a lake, we would always bring some cards.
I wanted to recreate that feeling of playing cards with friends in a scenic getaway. My first thought was to use some royalty-free photos to do this quick and save money. The result was a nicer-looking version of the basic game, that would choose a photo at random after each round.
Version 3: make it consistent
I stuck with version 2 for a LONG time while I worked on the core gameplay experience. For a while, I thought this was the final look of the app. But it felt like something was missing.
At the end of 2021, someone pointed it out to me. The style of the background didn’t match the foreground, AND I wasn’t using color theory at all. This is why the style seemed off to me, but as a software developer I completely missed it.
Since my art skills are pretty limited, I searched online for some stock art that I could use. I ended up buying some vector backgrounds from Adobe Stock, and imported it into my game. I created some basic background animations like puddles, clouds, and animals to bring the scenes to life.
I’m still making minor design tweaks up until the release, but version 3 is the nearly-finished product. I’m very excited to share the game with you all!
