Overview
The Everdell Pinball is a redesign of the 1979 Williams Flash pinball machine, offering a nostalgic experience for both pinball fans and Everdell fans alike.
Objectives
- To repurpose a refurbished Flash pinball machine using art and themes from the Everdell board game.
- To create a machine that can travel to shows and generate increased interest in the Everdell line of games.
Approach
This project had a steep learning curve, requiring an understanding of both the Everdell board game and the scoring system of an unfamiliar pinball machine, as well as designing for print on acrylic and vinyl. The process involved reviewing the full body of Everdell artwork and aligning themes between the board game and the existing Flash scoring system. Once the theme was mapped out, the rest of the project involved collaging a range of artwork to showcase the base game, all five Everdell expansions, and My Lil’ Everdell.
Client
Pinball Tycoon
Role
- Graphic Design
Deliverables
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- G Suite & Dropbox
Deliverables
- Playfield design
- Upper and lower cabinet design
- Acrylic topper design
Everdell vs Flash
Pictured above: Everdell Pinball and Flash Pinball
Pictured below: The cabinet design featuring seven covers across the Everdell line of games.
Design Process
Details of Deliverable 1
Identify Themes
My first challenge was to understand the overlapping themes between Flash and Everdell in order to map Everdell art onto the Flash scoring conditions in a way that made sense to the player. Everdell’s resources, special events, and seasons mapped nicely over Flash’s scoring conditions.
Design Playfield Art
Once I’d placed the art that re-themed the scoring conditions, I needed to fill in the rest of the playfield. Narratively, I wanted the player to travel through the nature of Everdell. The player starts in the mines and mountains at the base of the playfield. From there, the player moves through the meadow, a berry maze, across a river, and ends at the Evertree on the back glass.
Design Cabinet Art
The most important piece of art for any board game is the box cover, so I decided to feature cover art on the rest of the cabinet. Everdell fans will spot all the cover art included in the base game, the 5 expansions, the complete collection, and the spin-off game My Lil Everdell.
Print File Learning Curve
The Everdell pinball was the most complicated print project I’d worked on up to that point. Before this project, I had not designed for print on transparent acrylic, so there was a learning curve when it came to including trapping and masking. To the left you can preview the masking layer that was printed under the artwork, leaving open spots for lights to shine through the art.
Choose Powder Coating Color
Initially, I wanted to go with a candy apple or berry purple powder coat option. After looking at a few examples of pinball games with bright powder coating, I ultimately chose a hammered bronze option that would allow the bright colors of the artwork to pop forward.
Details of the Playfield
Below: Views of the playfield. The playfield was the most challenging part of my role in the project, as I had to quickly build an understanding of both Flash and Everdell, identify overlapping themes, and map new artwork onto the existing layout.
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Tabletop Tycoon / Tycoon Games product photos, art and designs ©Tabletop Tycoon/Tycoon Games, until the heat death of the universe. All Tabletop Tycoon / Tycoon Games files represented here have either been released to the public by the company, or modified to be low resolution and/or a distorted version of the original files to prevent commercial reproduction. All use of graphics are meant only to demonstrate graphic design skills and experience of the graphic designer.
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