Beneath the surface of Rusałka

A week into its launch, the BackerKit campaign for Nick Wedig's cult hit Rusałka is close to tripling its original funding goal. The game puts players in the role of vengeful sprits born of drowned women, drawing from a deck of twisted spells and tragic memories to piece together their past lives and discover the fate of the mortals desperate enough to seek their aid.

NessunDove, the indie studio curating this new edition, wants the campaign for Rusałka to be a celebration. The game has come a long way from its print-and-play origins, and much of this delightful new packaging is owed to Letty "Toadlett" Wilson, whose portfolio includes art for Wanderhome and Dolmenwood.

In the latest campaign update, Letty shares a peek at the design work required to create a cast of alluring, otherworldly, lethally beautiful water spirits.

"The close connection of nature to the Rusałka in the game inspired me to think of different water plants for each, to give a sense of a different kind of watery landscape for each suit and make their atmosphere feel unique. 

You can see the different plants in each piece of artwork, and they often have symbolism in folklore to link them to the themes of the suit. For instance, the willow trees in the Mysteries suit are associated with sleep and dreams, and also the weeping willow in particular with obscuring and hiding secrets."

"I went with a lot of quite upright compositions, both to work with the dimensions available, and also to communicate the other-worldly power of the Rusałka. You'll notice they are mostly looking down at the viewer, and also that each Rusałka has her face obscured in some way, to add to that eerie otherness, in contrast to the mortals."

Care to dive deeper? Read the full update and join the ranks of wishing mortals, live on BackerKit until October 26.