Cloven Tiles - Brand Design

When we first gathered together as a team, we were presented with a board game. Our client self-produced the game using laser-cut wooden tiles and a wooden board. We didn’t even know how to play the game, but we were excited to explore the endless possibilities of creating a brand for it. Our goals were to create a dynamic brand identity, establish packaging for the game, and create a rulebook template. The production team was involved in creating a gameplay trailer. While we didn’t have any tangible marketplaces to target, we always kept the future in mind for potential consumers who would be interested in purchasing the game.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was creating a brand around a game that already had so much character. The tiles have three distinct shapes and colors that are used in various ways to play the game. We didn’t want the brand elements to compete with the existing language of the game. We went through multiple rounds of brand exercises to really hone in on what the game and the brand needed to communicate.

Our small team had a lot to tackle. We split up the work based on our strengths to start mocking up the box and the rulebook. For the scope of the project, our goal was to highlight three of the existing games that can be played with Cloven Playing Tiles. With so much versatility, we wanted to push the boundaries of what a box could look like. Staying within feasible production, we decided to print on all sides of the box.

With a few board game enthusiasts on our team, we gathered various rule books to evaluate what works and what doesn’t when it comes to explaining games. The three games we were working with, Brew, Venus, and Greenhouse, each have their own set of rules. While we were only tasked with creating a full layout for one game, we had to be forward-thinking to make sure the system we established would be applicable for future games to be invented within the Cloven world. 

While the design team took the lead on the actual design work, it was extremely gratifying to have provided structure to such an incredible project. It all came together in this brand book that captures the essence of the game and its personality.