Real Artists Matter For My Board Game

The Original Lombard's Labyrinth 10 Champions

I grew up playing Magic The Gathering and Pokémon, so when it came time to have art made for my board game, I knew I wanted to work with real artists. I wanted many to work on my game. Some people worried that using multiple artists might make the game feel less cohesive, but personally, I believe people gravitate toward different art styles.

For me, when I pick a new commander in MTG, it’s often based on the artwork or even just the name. I wanted my cards to have that same feeling by having a wide variety of styles. From the base game, Lombard's Labyrinth, and its first expansion, The Lost Isles, I’ve had the honor of working with 30 artists from over 20 different countries. Bringing so many different artists together on one project has been one of the most rewarding parts of making my game.

The Original Lombard's Labyrinth 10 Bosses

One of the artists I worked with told me about DTIYS (Draw This In Your Style). The image on the left is the original commissioned art for Flameo, a fun little Pomlum from my game’s fantasy world. On the right is the winning entry from our first contest. On our Instagram, artists were asked to redraw Flameo in their own style, and after a month, we selected a winner who received $200, and their version of Flameo will be featured as a special promo card in First Edition copies of my game.

The DTIYS 2025 Winner

As a new account with no credibility, I was extremely happy with the response. Over 100 artists submitted their own versions of Flameo, and it was awesome to see so many artists draw and interpret one of my champions in so many ways.

8 of the 100 DTIYS submissions

For anyone wondering, the game hasn’t officially released yet. It’s going to be available for preorder soon!

Also, if you’re an artist interested in participating in the next DTIYS contest. I’m planning to run another one later in 2026. Details will be shared on the KromaticGames Instagram page.

With so much AI-generated art, I think it’s important for companies to lead by example. Even as a small independent creator (it’s just me), supporting real artists is very important to me.

Thank you to anyone who checks out my game. Your support helps me continue working with and paying real artists around the world.

I would also love to hear what art is your favorite. With 15 Champions and 15 Bosses, there are already so many great choices.