Hello!
I'm currently developing a narrative card battler with roguelike elements (working title Nine Lives), inspired by games like Slay the Spire, Inscryption and Cult of the Lamb. I’m looking for a 2D artist experienced or not, who would like to collaborate on this project as a hobby.
Style Goal: 2D semi-realistic (similar rendering level to Slay the Spire — painterly, stylized realism)
Mood & Palette: Deep blacks, dark purples, ethereal blues, yellow-orange highlights (cat eyes / ritual glow)
Visual Identity: Gothic-surreal atmosphere with subtle comedic undertones, living shadows, soft glow effects, slightly distorted forms
I’m searching for artists interested in helping with:
Backgrounds: Ritual arenas, Surreal environments, Character-specific boss spaces
Card Illustrations: Attacks, skills, special abilities, Stylized semi-realistic compositions, Clear silhouette and readability
Character Art: Full character illustrations
Character Sprites: Spritesheets (idle, attack, hit, small animations), 2D animation
UI & Icons: Item icons, effects during battle
About AI Usage (Transparency)
So far, I’ve used AI-generated images as placeholders to prototype visuals and test the atmosphere. However, my goal is to replace those with original artwork made by a real artist whenever possible. I genuinely want the project to have a cohesive, handcrafted identity.
Compensation
This is currently an unpaid hobby collaboration. The game is planned to release for free on itch.io. If that changes in the future (for example, a paid version or expanded edition), I am open to discussing revenue sharing.
You will:
- Receive full credit for your work
- Be featured clearly on the project page
- Have material for your portfolio
- Be part of the creative discussions
Although this game is being developed as a hobby and there’s no fixed deadline, I am serious about finishing it and not just “collecting ideas”.
Current Project Status
- Playable characters combat system: One character has been fully implemented for testing environments/Demos
- Character mechanics: Defined
- Enemy characteristics/skills : Writing
- Enemy combat system: Pending
- Loop structure: Defined
- Narrative concept: Written
- Art: Placeholder stage
This is not just a concept — development is already underway (about 70% of the way there I think).
Contact
If you're interested, please send:
- Portfolio link or examples of similar style work (if you have any)
- Your availability
You can:
- Reply here
- Send me a DM: boredkappa
If you love surreal horror, ritual aesthetics, cats (for all you fellow cat lovers), and narrative-driven deckbuilders, this might be a fun collaboration, let’s build something strange together.