Strange New Tides
Strange New Tides is a 2.5D town-life sim with a cosmic twist, created in just 72 hours during Ludum Dare 56 by a 40-person team. Built in the spirit of Animal Crossing but starring a tiny Cthulhu named Munch, the game blends cozy exploration with darkly humorous undertones. I joined the team as a Marketing Designer, but I also helped UI efforts across the production cycle. While I wasn’t involved in core game design, this project showcased my strengths in rapid iteration, team collaboration, and UX-minded thinking under real-world production constraints.
MARKETING DESIGNUI DESIGN
2 min read
strange new tides
Strange New Tides is a 2.5D town-life sim with a cosmic twist, created in just 72 hours during Ludum Dare 56 by a 40-person team. Built in the spirit of Animal Crossing but starring a tiny Cthulhu named Munch, the game blends cozy exploration with darkly humorous undertones. I joined the team as a Marketing Designer, but I also helped UI efforts across the production cycle. While I wasn’t involved in core game design, this project showcased my strengths in rapid iteration, team collaboration, and UX-minded thinking under real-world production constraints.
Engine: Unity
Role: Marketing Designer
Team Size: 40
creative collab & visual expression
As part of the Marketing team, I took the lead in creating visual assets to position the game for jam submission and the Steam launch. I designed the game’s logo, balancing the genre’s approachable tone with the eerie whimsy of our protagonist. Starting with quick sketch ideation, I explored multiple stylistic directions before landing on a design that incorporated Munch’s features and signage motifs reminiscent of town-life sims. This process involved close collaboration with Creative and Design Leads to ensure the visual identity felt authentic to the world we built. In tandem with the logo, I produced key promotional assets for Strange New Tides’ Itch.io and Steam pages.
ui & production goals
When the team began preparing the game for a post-jam Steam launch, I shifted gears to assist with UI. I designed and implemented the pause menu, including a cohesive layout for game settings with intuitive sliders and toggles. I ensured the interface aligned with the game’s established art direction while remaining accessible and readable. I welcome these opportunities to show my readiness to step in where needed–even outside my primary responsibilities.
This project also simulated a real AA studio structure, providing valuable insight into how larger creative teams manage scope, communication, and accountability. It helped sharpen my ability to plug into a multidisciplinary team and contribute meaningfully from day one.
outcomes & reflections
Strange New Tides was praised for its originality, polish, and worldbuilding, particularly impressive for a 72-hour game jam. For me, this project was a chance to prove my collaborative instincts in a fast-paced, studio-like environment. I stepped into multiple roles, adapted quickly to changing production needs, and delivered work that supported the team’s creative vision. It reinforced my belief in team-first development and my passion for solving creative challenges wherever they arise.
