Monstapals
Client: Anomaly Software
Animation & Illustration: Alice Peacock
Monstapals is a game for iOS and Android aimed at kids (and the young at heart) and recommended for ages 4 and up. It features Australian animals in their natural habitat which you can gather with your spaceship in order to create unique and interesting new creatures known as Monstapals.
My work on Monstapals
I worked as the sole animator and illustrator creating all the visual elements seen in the game. This includes:
Background and concept art
Character design and animation
Cut scene storyboards, illustration, animation, compositing, editing and sound
Promotional material such as trailers, teasers and screenshots
Character Design
There are forty-five custom designed Monstapals which use a blend of the characteristics of their component Australian animals. They range from cute to bizarre with a few Easter egg designs taking inspiration from well known creatures as diverse as dinosaurs and chickens.
Animation
Each Monstapal has its own unique walk and actions to suit its character design. It was interesting working with a diverse range of character shapes, legs, and tails to ensure each was given movement true to its form and weight. The animation also played an important aspect in giving each character a unique personality to bring the game more depth and prevent each new creation from feeling stale.
Environment Design
There are three main backgrounds in Monstapals; Australia, the spaceship interior, and the home planet. The objective for the Australian background design was it needed to be one coherent artwork but also be able to incorporate the habitats of a wide variety of Australian animals, including animals which inhabit underwater locations. The 'home' planet needed to be clear that it was not a part of Earth and have enough space for all the Monstapals to roam freely on multiple planes without too many obstacles.
Monstapals Stickers
I also designed a set of Monstapals Stickers which are available for free on iMessage. They showcase one of our favourite Monstapals; the croala, a crocodile crossed with a koala.
