Greater Than Games is a St. Louis based board game, comic, and miniature production company looking for a cartographer for their alternate-history board and card game, Spirit Island. The desired map would be dissected, with sections appearing as graphics on certain cards in the play deck. The map as a whole would also be present in some form on the project, making this a product that required appeal and legibility at differing scales. It also had to roughly pair with the overall color scheme and feel that the creative directors and artists had already selected for the project. The final product included topography at a scale that was representative of major mountain ranges and comprehensive at small scales, with detail appearing at larger scales. Flag icons were also added for additional flavor, along with elements that reflect both European royal imperialism and the natural environment of the island where the game takes place.
The map here is the second rendition - an expansion and slight aesthetic update that appears in the expansion to Spirit Island.
“Working with Zach Bodenner was a wonderful experience. He has a strong work ethic that seamlessly mixes time management & efficiency with beautiful artwork. Attention to detail and a strong understanding of cartography and world history made our map creation experience extremely enjoyable. He was very open to alterations based upon our feedback, but also presented many options unknown to us that helped to elevate the end product. Zach was even willing to take some risks and work in areas that were tangent to his strengths, but he mastered them flawlessly. Greater Than Games will surely be keeping Zach in mind for future projects.”