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GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR TABLETOP GAMES
PATRICK LIDDELL
CHRONOFIENDS
Immersive Sci-Fi Thriller Tabletop Experience
6 SKUs in Product Line
Over 440 Deluxe Components
Dual-Layer Boards With Holographic Finish & Spot UV Coat
Multiple Rulebooks & Scenario Guides
Unique 3D Token Constructions
PRODUCTION DESIGN
1.5mm
Fiber Board
Cut Lines
UV Spot Coat
CMYK Layers
WUP Layer
Holographic Finish
Punchboard Layer Construction
Chronofiends Punchboard Page 8, Front
UV Spot Coating
Multiple Finishes including White Underprint
3D Component Design
Chronofiend Tokens / Vagus Exosuit / Kolokine Mech
3D Component Design
Chronobugs! Expansion
Dual-Layer Player Boards
Character Board / Skill Board / Expansion Skill Board
Interactive Components
Card Tray / Life Gizmos / Huggy Wuggy Buddy
RULEBOOK DESIGN
Chronofiends Rulebook Pages 22 & 23
Diagrams • Tables • Pop-Up Boxes • Layout Hierarchy
Complex Diagram Layout
Use of Arrows • Magnification Areas • Overlays
Technical Assembly Instructions
IKEA-Style Illustration
Scenario Guides and Expansion Rulebooks
Consistency of style
Expansion Rulebook 1 • 180x210mm
Base Game Scenario Guide • 160x210mm
Mini-Expansion • 150x130mm
Expansion Rulebook 1 • 180x210mm
Gadget Grid Rulebook Pages 16 & 17
Diagrams • Color-coded Fonts • Example Images • Flavor Text/Imagery
Need For Cheese Game
Free Promotional Doorhanger Game
80s Theme • Minimalistic Instructions
VISUAL SYSTEMS DESIGN
Gadget Grid • Gardget Cards & DLC Cards
120 Unique Gadget Cards • 20 Unique DLC Cards
Cantor's Comb Game Cards
64 Tarot-Sized Cards • Sets combine to form images
Chronofiends Chronobug Cards
Octogonal Cards
Custom & Unique Dice
Cantor's Comb 16-sided Die • Chronofiends Custom 8-sided Die
Game Boxes
Chronofiends • Cantor's Comb • Gadget Grid
20" Game Board
Gadget Grid Board
Chronofiends Iconography
Game & Business Logos
ILLUSTRATION
Board / Tile Artwork
Chronofiend Room Tiles
Full Character Artwork
Chronofiend Player Character Action Poses
Character Portrait Artwork
Player Character Close-ups
Character Variety
Multiple Poses & Views
Including Alternative (Comic) Style
Game Item Artwork
Chronofiends
Game Item Artwork
Gadget Grid
Silver-Age Comic Book Style
Vintage Inking • Halftone • Distressing • Paper Textures
Various Artwork
Landscapes • Illustrations • Maps • Alternative Styles
Aspen Landscape
Still Life 3
Spaceship Crashes Church Fantasy Map
Central California Coast Landscape
Still Life 1
Fantasy/Horror Scene
Catalina Island - Afternoon Landscape
Orange Daisies
Future Planet Scene
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FROM PROTOTYPE TO PRODUCTION
Room Tile Evolution
During playtesting for Chronofiends, the Room Tiles underwent seven generations of corrections. There is a lot of information folded into each of these tiles, and it was important that the artwork and mechanics were evenly balanced.
The final design incorporates a number of feedback-driven upgrades; clearer iconography, stronger pathway designation, and several extra levels of gameplay information.
Box Cover Tone Shift
The original visual style chosen for Chronofiends was Silver-Age comics; the high adventure / nigh-future-technology setting of the world lends itself to the 1950's hero genre. The first box cover leans into that, with a frenzy of action and color. However, through early advertising data, we learned that the comic book style was incongruent with the game play style, which is essentially thriller/sci-fi horror. Armed with that knowledge, we redesigned the box cover to reflect that darker tone.
Before
After
Before
After
Rulebook Clarity Upgrades
These two examples show the difference between review print and the final version. Technically, all the same information on Page 8 is there, but the second version is richer on several levels, because of:
• The careful use of hierarchy, columns, and spacing
• A more harmonious choice of fonts and decorative elements
• Bolder illustrations for visibility
• Subtle background textures, to create cohesion and define informational borders
Logo Redesign
The early logo for Chronofiends was quite plain: a setting of a comic book display font with a rainbow overlay. Borrowing concepts from Daniel Solis's Graphic Design for Board Games, I redesigned the logo, adding clarity, depth, and punch.
Before
After
CONTACT
©2026 Patrick Liddell
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