The Brain - card game - packshot

2023: The Brain

Author: Peter Jürgensen
Developer: Flo de Haan
Illustrator: Ross Ciuppa – The Outer Eye
Publisher: 999 Games

The Brain - card game - packshot

2023: The Brain

Author: Peter Jürgensen
Developer: Flo de Haan
Illustrator: Ross Ciuppa – The Outer Eye
Publisher: 999 Games

In this project I have worked closely together with the designer of this game, Peter Jürgensen to develop this idea into a published game. In addition I have created the solo mode. 

Peter and I met in Göttingen, Germany at the Spieleautorentreffen. When he showed me the concept I was instantly hooked and I pitched the game to 999 Games.

Original concept: Five kills. This is a very hard cooperative puzzle game. You and your fellow players form a brain together, but cannot communicate, not hint, and not point. You have to figure out by deduction, counting, timing and a bit of luck how to get rid of all the cards. If you manage to do so, the level increases. 

Final Product: The Brain. Beware of ducks killing dragons while they are hunting for zombies. In this strange world of six types of creatures competing with each other, you and your fellow players form The Brain that must relieve them from the ever looping cycle of destruction and creation. Will you be able to get rid of all the cards without communication? Then increase the level.

It was a nice project, with a thorough interaction between Peter and I. The game concept itself is as brilliant as Rubiks’ Cube. So simple, just 36 cards, yet so hard to solve. The storyline was a great journey, taking all kinds of fantasy and natural animals and their counterparts.

The colours were thoroughly tested at colorblind people. several adjustments were made, since the distinction of colours is very important in this game, where you cannot talk or ask anything.

The American illustrator Ross Ciuppa (The Outer Eye Studio) was the best tattoo-style artist to make the creatures stand out in just monochrome outlines.

Summary Made by Flo: design (solo mode), Project management, development, creation of testable prototype, testing, writing the rulebook, editing the rulebook, theme development, art direction, production briefing.

The Brain - card game - packshot

The Brain