Leshy's Curse is short narrative side-scrolling fighting game about a forest deity cursed to perish. Made in Unity in 2023.
The game narrative is based on Polish mythology, where the main character is a deity. The narrative of the game has Leshy and his bird companion, Stratim, going through different parts of the forest in search of a way to get rid of the curse that befell the area.
The characters and environment take inspiration from the Medieval era European countryside. The story is told through gameplay, character interactions, and illustrated cutscenes.
The fighting system includes character health, base attacks, a rechargeable special attack, and shielding.
Created for the games Leshy’s Curse and Dieback, using Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, Procreate, and Adobe Substance Painter.
Leshy is a character inspired by Pagan mythology of Eastern Europe, Poland in particular. He is based on a deity of the same name, which in lore protects forests and is responsible for people getting lost.
His clothing and overall color palette is inspired by traditional Polish garments, which often include blue, red, and yellow ribbons.
The character scale is implied by the deer skull he wears, which is also a remnant of his fallen animal companion that he uses for ritual spells.
His walk is slightly crooked, which prompts him to use a tree branch as a mobility aid.
Three NPC assets to be used in-game, a side-scrolling environment, and an in-game view of NPC dialogue.
These illustrations were made as part of concepting and promotion for Leshy's Curse and Dieback.