Ur-Cloud – Blobs & Clouds (Board Game Project)

In my master’s thesis project, I developed a strategic board game called “Blobs & Clouds,” and the Ur-Cloud represents the game’s most important and decisive figure. Much like the king in chess, the Ur-Cloud is the central unit each player must protect, while attempting to trap and eliminate the opponent’s. Its role is crucial: losing your Ur-Cloud means losing the game.

The model was sculpted in ZBrush to emphasize soft, organic shapes that express a mixture of power, mystery, and vulnerability. Retopology and UV mapping were completed in Maya to ensure it is optimized for game-ready use. The figure was textured in Substance Painter using a hand-painted style, with a carefully curated palette that reflects the board’s atmosphere of contrasting light and dark cloud fields. This visual connection ensures the Ur-Cloud feels grounded in the world while remaining immediately recognizable as a high-value piece.

The Ur-Cloud is part of a larger set of unique game pieces, each with its own function and design language. As the core of each player’s strategy, this figure defines the tension and objective of every match in Blobs & Clouds - to protect your own Ur-Cloud while outmaneuvering your opponent’s.