created and produced by Maschinen-Mensch • published by Thunderful Games • art by Garen Ewing • art director Johannes Kristmann
Curious Expedition 2 is a computer adventure game from Berlin-based Machinen-Mensch. I spent three years as the principal artist on this project, drawing hundreds of environments, characters, items and extras. Here's a selection of some of the concept work for the game.
I struggled for a while to come up with an idea for the Taishi Academy's headquarters until I came round to the concept of a 'floating library', a place where enlightened minds are so focussed on the acquisition of knowledge that physical mass has little meaning.
Mole Tribe
I really enjoyed working on the various cultures that populate the islands of Curious Expidition 2, including African, Mesoamerican, Salamander, Peacocks, Tanuki, Picts, Kobolds, the Pale Masks, and the Moles. Here's some development work for the mining moles.
Here's some development of the Pale Masks, with the last two representing the direction eventually taken.
Palikao
The following sketches show some of the concepts I developed for the mysterious technologies of the Palikao that litter the islands.
A few other sketches ...
Curious Expedition 2 game and artwork copyright Maschinen-Mensch 2022
