Most of my tabletop work started the same way: someone hands you a beloved IP, a tight deadline, and a standard that can't slip - because the fans will know.
Over 15+ years I've directed creative for licensed games built on some of the most demanding franchises in the world - Games Workshop, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, and original IP. That means commissioning and reviewing hundreds of artists, building style guides and card UI systems from scratch, writing flavor text and quick start guides, fleshing out lore and naming mechanics, owning packaging and marketing materials, and attending press checks across three continents to make sure the thing that ships matches the thing you approved. Below is a handful of the games I've worked on...
Lord of the Rings Tradeable Miniatures Game
Lord of the Rings was a licensed miniatures game produced by Mattel and Sabertooth Games under license from New Line Cinema - one of the most scrutinized fantasy IPs on the planet at the peak of the film trilogy.
I reviewed sculpts, designed packaging and marketing materials, worked with the Tolkien Foundation to create UI icons and base layouts, commissioned cartography for map pack SKUs, and developed the COMBAT HEX logo. Every deliverable had to hold up against one of the most passionate fan bases in genre history.
WarCry (Warhammer Fantasy)
WarCry was a collectible card game built on the Warhammer Fantasy license from Games Workshop - a company that takes its IP standards seriously, full stop.
As Creative Director, I owned the complete visual direction of the game. I designed and commissioned card frames, UI symbols, and card backs. I directed key and hero art for marketing, reviewed every commissioned illustration, built logos and brand guidelines for the game and all eight expansion sets, wrote flavor text and named mechanics and cards, and oversaw rulebooks, marketing materials, and play mats. I also attended press checks in Belgium, Montreal, and Texas to ensure print quality matched what we approved. Eight sets. 1000+ cards. One consistent creative standard throughout.
Horus Heresy
Horus Heresy was a collectible card game developed by Sabertooth Games set in the predawn of the Warhammer 40,000 universe - and the events that set up the entire 40K mythos. For fans, it doesn't get more lore-critical than this.
I designed and illustrated card frames and UI symbols, reviewed all commissioned art, directed key and hero pieces for marketing, built the brand guidelines, wrote card flavor text, and designed packaging, marketing materials, and rulebooks. When the IP is this foundational to a fanbase, every creative decision is load-bearing.
Warhammer 40,000 CCG
Warhammer 40,000 was the first CCG I worked on as a designer - and eventually took over as Creative Director. Built on the Games Workshop license, it was my introduction to what it means to steward someone else's universe with the care it deserves.
I designed logos, packaging, and iconography, oversaw the art commissioning pipeline, and directly commissioned hero art for marketing. It's where I learned that franchise creative work isn't just about making things look right - it's about understanding why they matter to the people who love them.
Final
Revised with notes
Directional sketch
Concept
Concept
Concept
Back to the Future: The Card Game
Back to the Future was a Looney Labs card game based on the Universal film trilogy - a harder fight than you might think, because everyone has a very specific idea of what Back to the Future should feel like.
I directed and commissioned 80 pieces of original art, designed packaging and marketing materials, developed card UI elements, and refined the logo with an extra arrow that better captured the franchise's kinetic energy. Sometimes the right detail is a small one.
XEKO CARD UI 1
XEKO CARD UI 2
XEKO CARD UI 3
XEKO ELEMENTS
XEKO
XEKO was an original collectible card game that taught kids about real-world endangered species and the ecosystems they live in, mixed with just a sprinkle of magic and fun.
I researched, art directed, and commissioned 1,000+ illustrations across the first three sets, developed the full card UI system including frames, iconography, and card types in collaboration with the game designer, designed packaging and marketing materials, wrote flavor text and quick-start guides, and built the complete XEKO illustration style guide from scratch. It won Toy of the Year. It also proved that original IP built on a strong visual and narrative system can earn the same loyalty as any licensed franchise - if you build it right.
