Final Girl: Station 2891

Board game map design & environmental storytelling

Map illustration for Van Ryder Games' board game series Final Girl. This scenario drops players into an isolated frozen research facility heavily inspired by the '80s sci-fi horror classic The Thing.

Developed in close collaboration with lead artist Roland MacDonald, the design balances rigid tactical gameplay with narrative drama. The primary focus was environmental storytelling embedded directly into the floor plan layout. Every room holds grim details. Blood-stained corridors, disrupted equipment, and abandoned living quarters - players can piece together the tragic final hours of the crew as they navigate the station.

Mood & Inspiration

The main reference for this game was 1982's The Thing. I wanted to capture the movie’s pragmatic look and grounded, natural colours. Dramatic lighting does most of the heavy lifting. Harsh lights spotlight specific rooms to create drama, while heavy shadows keep the rest of the station tense and unpredictable.

Designer Mockup to Final

The initial layout provided by the game designer only blocked out essential gameplay areas. This gave me the freedom to fill in the blank spaces and build out the rest of the station's layout.