Illimat !!!

After my tutorial with Matt where he mentioned this game I went home and ordered it. Every single element is so beautiful I bloody love it.

physicality of the cards




The game is played on a fabric cloth rather than a board - it feels almost like a ritual or a cult



These are the Luminary cards which change the gameplay. Each does a different thing which is subtley described in the illustration - but it feels like a hidden easter egg almost? The image doesn't make total sense until you understand what the role of that card is?
The way these cards illustrate a concept/story within the single image is brilliant. Doesn't need any words.




These cards are so so beautiful. They resemble wood cuts / lino prints. As with the Luminary cards, theres little tell tale elements within the characters which give us extra insight if the "Fool of Summer" etc text wasn't present - eg the the pattern of the characters cloth / the specific plants that surround them.
I want to make single illustrations of each of the characters within the folklore world I'm building. How do they present themselves as a set and as individuals? Could I try lino/woodcut - techniques used in traditional old folk tale anthologies?




There's small tokens called okus tokens within the game to.
"Traditionally, an okus is an object with some personal significance to the player who puts it up, and we encourage experienced players to bring their own okus token to the Illimat."

 Every element of the game design is so tactile and precious. There's a beautiful physicality to all of the components, its so engaging and otherworldly, but rooted in existing games and rituals?

I'm so keen to make my stories into an immersive otherworldy sphere. Rooted in reality but transforming ordinary to magical. Want to make 3D aspects to this project. How can my work sit as objects, or through production methods like tapestries and wood. I want to research folk art practices and then use this to elevate my work and push expression through objects.