LAURA M. REBER
Game Design - 3D Modeling - Animation - Illustration

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GAME DESIGN

THE THIEF OF HOMBURG
Educational game about Swiss history (Year 1775)

This project communicates archeological research about the Swiss ruined castle “Homburg”, experiencable with the tools of modern video games. The final version of this educational game is tested and played by younger students. It aims at creating curiosity about archeology in a playful way.

Based on a real story taking place on Easter Sunday in 1775, the player tries to enter the castle as a poor thief, to steal precious objects without getting caught. Together with archeologists, the studio Diditopia Games recreated the environment and characters carefully and as accurate as possible. 
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MY ROLE: Lead Artist in later stages of developement & Release, implemented 3D assets and worked on architectural elements under archaeological supervision.

DARKEST CUBE
Roguelike deckbuilder game

Darkest Cube is a roguelike deckbuilding game with turn-based combat. During each run, players build and refine their deck, explore a dark fantasy world, collect relics, brew potions, and unlock upgrades. Unlike other deckbuilders, cards can be removed easily, allowing decks to be adjusted throughout a run. The game also features a skill tree and a body-part system, where defeated enemies provide resources for crafting and progression.

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MY ROLE: Lead Artist during the first half of development, managed a small team of artists. Contributed significantly to the creation of a solid prototype, both visually and in terms of gameplay. Lead community building initially, though the role gradually diminished as project priorities shifted.

NICHE - A GENETICS SURVIVAL GAME
Educational game about nature & genetic evolution

Niche – a genetics survival game is a turn-based strategy game combined with simulation and survival elements for PC, Mac and Linux. 
Shape your own species of animals based on real genetics. Keep your species alive against all odds, such as predators, climate change and spreading sickness.

It has been available for purchase on Steam and various other platforms since September 15, 2016, and has received very positive reviews.
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MY ROLE: Various 3D Models, Concept Art, promotional art for a Kickstarter campaign, Icons for achievements and more, Sound lead, handcrafted sound effects, planning out modular music, contributing ideas for gameplay and story, community building, promoting the game internationally on conventions

NIMBATUS - A SPACE DRONE CONSTRUCTOR
Procedural space exploration game

Command the Nimbatus and craft drones out of hundreds of different parts. Survive unknown threats in a fully destructible, procedural universe, compete against other players in different arenas or enjoy complete creative freedom in the sandbox. As the Captain of the Nimbatus – the biggest mobile drone factory ever made – your mission is simple: Gather as much information about the universe as possible and reach its far end. But beware! Taking on tasks related to new discoveries, population control and environmental disasters aren’t easy. It is vital to mine rare resources, advance research and experiment with technologies to survive uncharted galaxies.

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MY ROLE: 2D background artist & procedural texture design in early development stage

FACE THE MASKED
Academic project: Prototype of a mystery adventure game

In this adventure game, you arrive at a mysterious house where you plan to spend your vacation as a guest.
After finding the key and gaining access to the house, you settle in for the night.
In the middle of the night, you receive a phone call and begin to uncover what is wrong with this place.
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MY ROLE: I was responsible for all visual and audio elements. It was my first bigger 3D project during the studies at ZHdK.

REWRAP: ANTICHAMBER
Academic project: Video production of an existing game - simulation of style

One of the main challenges of this video project was creating a fifth-dimensional room within a 3D environment.
A recreation of the video game Antichamber with a unique twist.
This video showcases a recreation of the mind-bending gameplay mechanics of Antichamber, and has as a goal to recrate the style as accurately as possible.

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MY ROLE: I created all 3D models, environments, and renderings, and was responsible for video rendering and editing. This was a solo project.

 

THIS WORLD ENDS
Academic project: Bachelor's thesis

This project was created as part of my Bachelor's thesis.

The goal was to create a fragile, interactive world in which the environment grows and pulsates as the player approaches. This effect was achieved through a shader-based technique that dynamically manipulated object origins relative to the player's position.

The game also features perspective-based puzzles that can only be solved when viewed from specific locations.
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MY ROLE: Storyboarding, concept art, 3D asset creation, and implementation in Unity, technical optimisation for the breathing shader effect.

3D MODELS & TEXTURES

WINGED HEART - personal project

- Cinema 4D Excersise

- Experimentation with liquid rendering and transparency

FURNITURE DESIGN SHOWCASE

- 3D Animation in Blender

- high resolution rendering

- multiple cameras for different angles & detail shots

- Filmora video editing & cutting

ILLUSTRATIONS

COMIC

Auftrag BZ am Wochenende

In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Verein der Comic Crew Basel entstand dieser 4-Panel-Comicstrip zum Thema Treppenhaus. Während ungefähr zwei Jahren (2024 & 2025) durften alle Mitglieder, die mitmachen wollten, ein Werk oder mehrere erstellen. Die Farbpalette & das Thema wurde vorgegeben, damit sich ein roter Faden durch die Veröffentlichungsreihe zieht. Es gab zwei Ausstellungen aller Werke, eine in Basel (kHaus) und eine in Luzern, im Rahmen des Fumetto Festivals. 

CI DESIGN

Logos und Pictogramme

Illustrator

MY FAVORITE IMAGE AT THE MOMENT...

2D PROJEKTE

Das Auge

Dies hat mich sehr beschäftigt, da die visuelle Gestaltung ja sehr damit zusammenhängt. 
Ich habe hier diverse Bilder gezeichnet zum Thema Auge, sehen, Erblindung...


Techniken: Farbstift, Ölkreide, Wasserfarbe, Airbrush und digital

Digital minimal

Diverse Bilder erstellt mit Alchemy, Illustrator und Photoshop

Symmetrie

Digital erstellt, mit Alchemy und Photoshop. teilweise häufig überzeichnet, bis ich zufrieden war mit dem Ergebnis. 

Der Käfer

Mit der Plattenätztechnik erzeugte Drucke

Inspiriert von Franz Kafka's Verwandlung

Characters & Creatures