Five days. One theme. One game. Pirate Software's GameJam is exactly the kind of constraint that forces good creative decisions fast, and Saintful Seas was the result. A cozy, resource-collection strategy game about cleaning up the ocean that somehow managed to feel tranquil and competitive at the same time. I led the art direction and owned the full UI/UX from concept to submission.
The GameJam theme was "It's Spreading," with an open brief that invited the obvious directions: pandemics, zombie outbreaks, viral chaos. The challenge wasn't just building a game in five days. It was building something that stood out in a field full of teams swinging at the same obvious pitches, while still delivering a mechanic and an atmosphere that actually felt good to play.
Design a mellow, cozy strategy game where harvesting trash from the ocean felt visually satisfying and mechanically clear. The art direction needed to carry the relaxed atmosphere without sacrificing gameplay readability. Every UI element had to feel like it belonged in the world, not just on top of it.
Saintful Seas placed first in Playability and first in Artistic Style out of all entries in the competition. I directed the full art vision and designed every UI/UX asset in the game, outside of character and ship design. In five days, the team built something that felt considered, cohesive, and genuinely fun to play. That's the best outcome a GameJam can produce.
