GAMES_Above_the_Clouds

is a magical 3D puzzle game in which you use the help of animals and their different abilities to navigate the floating islands above the clouds. With its mesmerizing soundtrack and ethereal flair you can discover beautiful spots and strengthen your bond with nature to befriend even more animals and use their unique skills.

This game was created together with my teammates as our final university project. As the art director of this project, my tasks were visual development, concept art, character & asset modelling, texturing, set dressing, lighting, Title Screen art and together with my teammates I was also involved in the story and lore creation.

story

In a world above the clouds, beings kept the balance between heaven and earth with their energy. This world is connected to the spirit world, ruled by 'Aer'. The animals live in harmony with the Aer. The Kumonians, who are inhabitants in this world above the clouds, live in harmony with the spirits on their islands in the sky because they have a kind soul. Humans on Earth however became too selfish and wanted the Aers power. This made their world collapse. But the core of this broken world is still intact and maintains the balance between the two worlds. This core is held together by the big tree in the middle of the world and depends on good energy and kind-hearted people.

Over the time, the Kumonians are becoming more like humans, inheriting their bad traits which is disturbing the worlds balance once again. Most people in the clouds have already given up hope, but some still believe that the world can be saved if someone climbs the tree in the sea of clouds and restores the harmony with the spirits by making a truly selfless wish to save the world and all its people. Alizeh, a young Kumonian girl, meets an Aer with the name of Gale who reveals to her that she is the chosen one and has to go on this adventure in which it is determined if her heart is kind enough to save the world.

Initial concepts of Alizeh, the main character. In search for a fitting style, we tried out different stylizations of the character.

Final concept of Alizeh.

First mood concept for the world above the clouds and the big tree which maintains the world's balance.

The style and especially the color scheme of the whole game was changed a few times during the process until the team found a fitting color palette and vibe for the whole game.

Concepts of potential residents of the islands in the sky, the Kumonians.

Vegetation concepts.

concept phase

In this phase, the story, the character concepts and the world building was established. We went for an ethereal, natural vibe for the world above the clouds to really empathize the thin line between the spirit world and the real world we're wandering while exploring the scenery.

production

The game was created in Unity. All models were modelled and retopologized in ZBrush and Maya and textured with Procreate, Photoshop and Substance Painter. All textures were hand drawn and painted and then used in Substance Painter to create different maps.