Sandcastles
background
Sandcastles was to be a multiplayer strategy VR game, set in a world made of clay. Each player would control a faction of ‘deedles’, little clay creatures that have the ability to swap out bodyparts. I was approached to create two pieces of key art that would reflect the designs of the characters and the world they inhabit.
material research
For the materials I took cues from contemporary ceramics, pottery, modern architecture, 3D printing, and mud buildings. Clay having such a rough surface, I was looking to add in glossy elements to help bring out details and make for a more refined finish. Ceramicists employ different glazing techniques to achieve the same effect, and similar material approaches can be seen the beautiful finishes of East-Asian tea pots.
character design
The clay figurines were to be composed of interchangeable components, so that they could be reconfigured with new heads and arms and even weapons. For their bodies I picked a humble terracotta, to make them look friendly and approachable. Metallic and glazed parts were used to create nice material contrasts, and signify armor-like pieces and other cosmetic details. Because circuit breakers can use ceramic components, I felt that combining metals with ceramics would not feel too out of place.
architecture
The buildings were heavily inspired by pottery, and thus their main shapes look like the could have been shaped on a pottery wheel.
environment
Everything should look like it could be made out of clay, so that meant solid shapes and closed volumes. It was decided that the playing field would take place on separate islands. Inspired by 3D printing, I envisioned a lattice work super-structure that would hold the world together, and out of which towers of islands could grow.
© 2025 Erwin Kho