Consumania
Your goal is simple: stick to your shopping list... or spiral into uncontrollable purchasing madness. Step into a futuristic mega-market and dive into the exponential chaos of human overconsumption in the absurd, satirical world of CONSUMANIA!
As art director and developer on this student project at the Royal Danish Design Academy, I shaped the game's visual identity while building the systems that brought the game's technical mayhem to life.
Roles: Art Direction ∙ 3D Art ∙ Tech Art ∙ Development
Building a Plastic Paradise
Set in a satirical consumeristic dystopia, I designed an aesthetic inspired by toys, candy, and all things plasticky and naive. Rounded forms and punchy, saturated colors create a world that’s as irresistible as it is overwhelming.
I modelled key characters, items, and modular furniture, establishing a visual language that guided the 3D artists as they expanded the supermarket’s universe with additional food, gadgets, and city-scale props - all aligned under one cohesive plastic formula.
The World Expands: From 2D to 3D
Imagining a near-future Copenhagen, I continued defining a direction based on simplified shapes and playful exaggeration to perfectly match our synthetic supermarket. This framework helped the artists design satirical signs, vehicles, and buildings inspired by iconic Danish landmarks. My role was to keep the tone consistent: reviewing concepts, refining shapes, and curating which 2D ideas became 3D assets. The goal was a world that feels unified and intentionally absurd.
Controlling the Chaos
Using Unity's visual scripting, I built the game's signature mechanic: a Katamari-style rolling ball of havoc that grows with every "impulse buy". The system detects items which aren't on the player's shopping list, absorbs them, and filters out oversized items to maintain steady, readable growth. This ensures the chaos feels wild - but plays smoothly.
Tuning Emotion with Visual Cues
Our team mapped the intended experience arc, then tested it using FACS and GSR analysis to track real player reactions. The data confirmed big spikes in excitement during the supermarket breakout! As art director, I tuned light, color, composition, and visual pacing around these emotional peaks, making sure the look and feel amplified the experience we wanted players to have.
Credits
Art Direction, 3D Art, Tech Art, Development: Mati Kalter
Narrative Direction, Level Design, 3D Art: Wika Domercka
Concept Art, 3D Art: Sara Lisinka Nielsen
Illustration, 3D Art: Anastasia Jacobsen
Illustration: D.J. Goon
Narrative Direction, Level Design, 3D Art: Wika Domercka
Concept Art, 3D Art: Sara Lisinka Nielsen
Illustration, 3D Art: Anastasia Jacobsen
Illustration: D.J. Goon
