Set in 16th century Germany, and deeply rooted in the art and culture of the time, Pentiment is the latest immersive gaming experience from the mind of one of gaming's most prolific and compelling Creative Directors. For this program, we were asked to work closely with the client team to develop a logo and key art package that balanced the rich art history the game is rooted in, with the demands of a piece of marketing content intended to excite fans, and invite them into the world.

Playing with fire. The symbol of illumination, enlightenment, renewal and purification. The symbol of destruction, damnation and irreversible change.

Our ability to control fire is linked to our capacity to evolve as a species. Fire has had enormous benefits to mankind. And from our earliest literature, humans have written about fire. They have written about its ability to nourish and protect, but also harm and even kill.

Rationally Fire is a force of change.

Emotionally Fire evokes passion and destruction.

Culturally Fire is renewal and new beginnings.

For the key art, our team explored methods of the time such as illuminated manuscripts and Northern Oils, as well as masters like Grünewald, Dürer, Bosch, and Bruegel. These references and influences help us generate a piece of compelling key art that feels very much rooted in the world of the game. Fire in particular plays an important role in Pentiment. It’s dynamic and double-edged nature became a key thematic element in our art, as it can symbolize both inspiration and enlightenment, as well as destruction and pain. Fire offered us a visceral, strong, and memorable component to bring the story to life, and to stand out in digital store.

Pentiment is a smaller title, geared toward a niche audience. However, it launched day one into Game Pass, making it free for all subscribers. Our goal was to create a piece of key art that felt authentic to the game experience, while bringing a dynamic sense of visual interest to help the game stand out in a crowded digital storefront, and to inspire the audience to click. If they engaged with the game page, then the powerful game experience would do the rest. We are happy to report that our mission was a success! Pentiment performed very well at launch, and went on to receive incredible critical and press coverage and generate a high volume of fan buzz. By delivering highly engaging art, which inspired our Game Pass audience to click through, it helped Pentiment create a groundswell of positive sentiment and support for a successful launch.