Case Study

Tales of Fablecraft

Project Overview

Over the past four years, I’ve led the creative development of Fablecraft, a beautifully designed, story-rich digital roleplaying game. We built it from the ground up to make tabletop gaming easier and more intuitive, especially for new players.

The Challenge

Tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons are a blast, but also complicated and require a Game Master. It’s a lot of prep and pressure for the person running the game, and a steep learning curve for new players.

We saw an opportunity to keep the storytelling, creativity and camaraderie, but make it easier to jump in.

Whether friends are playing together in person or across the world, Fablecraft makes the experience smoother, more accessible, and just as full of adventure.

Our Solution

We reimagined tabletop play for digital, trimming the rulebooks, automating the math, and focusing on good storytelling, smart tools, and gorgeous design.

I helped lead every part: building the game system, designing a platform for solo and group play, and creating our Game Master Guide, which delivers contextual tools and prompts as needed.

Scroll the carousel below or download to try it yourself!

On the Fablecraft home screen, players can join or host a campaign, create a hero, explore a teaching demo, or browse the marketplace for adventures, dice skins, and homebrew art.

On the Fablecraft home screen, players can join or host a campaign, create a hero, explore a teaching demo, or browse the marketplace for adventures, dice skins, and homebrew art.

The Game Master Guide acts as both an adventure guide and digital assistant, offering story beats, voiceover for key moments, and easy tools to manage art, music, lore, rolls, combat, and inventory

The Game Master Guide acts as both an adventure guide and digital assistant, offering story beats, voiceover for key moments, and easy tools to manage art, music, lore, rolls, combat, and inventory

GMs have the world of Mythas at their fingertips, with environments, creatures, maps, and more just a tap away. Many assets include variants for added customization.

GMs have the world of Mythas at their fingertips, with environments, creatures, maps, and more just a tap away. Many assets include variants for added customization.

Video was always important for us. And so we recreated zoom. 🤣 It's an optional feature, but one we think makes Fablecraft very special.

Video was always important for us. And so we recreated zoom. 🤣 It's an optional feature, but one we think makes Fablecraft very special.

Players spend a good portion of their time on the Story Scene, which acts as a stage for animated landscapes, NPCs, and creatures.

Players spend a good portion of their time on the Story Scene, which acts as a stage for animated landscapes, NPCs, and creatures.

We had a lot of fun with our load screens, and they provide a nice way for us to visibly credit all of the incredible artists we work with.

We had a lot of fun with our load screens, and they provide a nice way for us to visibly credit all of the incredible artists we work with.

When it’s time for combat, GMs can switch from the Story Scene to the Battlemap, where players face off in turn-based RPG style. Each monster features custom spells and visual effects.

When it’s time for combat, GMs can switch from the Story Scene to the Battlemap, where players face off in turn-based RPG style. Each monster features custom spells and visual effects.

Once on the Battlemap, the turn tracker keeps things moving, targeting shows attack ranges, and each player’s combat spells are ready in their tray at the bottom.

Once on the Battlemap, the turn tracker keeps things moving, targeting shows attack ranges, and each player’s combat spells are ready in their tray at the bottom.

Homebrew is a key part of our toolset. Players and GMs can easily upload their own artwork to tell their unique stories.

Homebrew is a key part of our toolset. Players and GMs can easily upload their own artwork to tell their unique stories.

Dice rolling is simple with Fablecraft. GMs can send roll requests, or players can roll freely. Results are automatically calculated, and there’s a wide variety of fun digital dice to choose from.

Dice rolling is simple with Fablecraft. GMs can send roll requests, or players can roll freely. Results are automatically calculated, and there’s a wide variety of fun digital dice to choose from.

GMs can fully control any map they use with Fog of War. They can paint fog over any square, and reveal it when ready.

GMs can fully control any map they use with Fog of War. They can paint fog over any square, and reveal it when ready.

We’ve got 8 unique adventures available in the Marketplace, along with many dice and token skins, and music and art packs.

We’ve got 8 unique adventures available in the Marketplace, along with many dice and token skins, and music and art packs.

We had a lot of fun making our player demo. Players join an adventuring crew, battle Rocksquitos, and save a tavern in trouble, all while learning the game as they go.

We had a lot of fun making our player demo. Players join an adventuring crew, battle Rocksquitos, and save a tavern in trouble, all while learning the game as they go.

Campaigns are easy to set up. GMs can keep games private or open them to the public, and our matchmaking tools make it easy to find a new adventuring crew.

Campaigns are easy to set up. GMs can keep games private or open them to the public, and our matchmaking tools make it easy to find a new adventuring crew.

Fablecraft is fully supported on mobile for players, making it easy to jump into a session from anywhere. Here you'll see a character sheet, inventory item, and full inventory list.

Fablecraft is fully supported on mobile for players, making it easy to jump into a session from anywhere. Here you'll see a character sheet, inventory item, and full inventory list.

Combat is optimized for mobile too. Here, you can see the start of combat, the player’s view of the battlemap, and spell details.

Combat is optimized for mobile too. Here, you can see the start of combat, the player’s view of the battlemap, and spell details.

Player demos are also optimized for mobile. Here, you can see a roll request, the dice roll in action, and the selection of a premade character.

Player demos are also optimized for mobile. Here, you can see a roll request, the dice roll in action, and the selection of a premade character.

Chat support, scene changes, and subscription plans are also fully supported.

Chat support, scene changes, and subscription plans are also fully supported.

The World of Mythas

In partnership with our lead writer, I created Mythas, the world at the heart of Fablecraft. It’s a setting rich with original cultures, creatures, magic, and lore.

As Creative Director, I sourced and directed a global team of artists, animators, voice actors, and composers. I wrote the briefs and worked through feedback to refine everything players see in-game.

I also co-wrote and edited our adventures, helping shape Mythas into a world that feels alive. There’s conflict. There’s beauty. There are an abundance of magical cats. Each adventure includes animated environments, battlemaps, characters, creatures, inventory items, sound effects, voiceover, and original scores.

The Book of Mythas is a lovely read if you enjoy worldbuilding!

A few of my favorite art commissions

  • Longstrider Village, Long Meadows

  • Old World Ruin, Long Meadows

  • Karma Cat, Long Meadows

  • Sting Gliders, Long Meadows

  • Depths Entrance, Coral Coasts

  • Wavechaser, Coral Coasts

  • Coastal Otter, Coral Coasts

  • Shifting Path, Wildwoods

  • Dragon Perch, Wildwoods

  • Woodland Dragon, Wildwoods

  • Rocky Roller, Highlands

  • Highlands Hound, Highlands

The People Behind the Work

Fablecraft has allowed me to take a genre I love and pair it with my professional skillset. I’ve designed UI, created monsters, written stories, shaped gameplay, organized livestreams, run marketing campaigns, rallied our Discord community, demoed at conventions, and turned a crazy dream into reality alongside some very dear friends. We’ve saved kingdoms, battled quadracondas, and built an incredibly special and magical product together. ⚔️

Fablecraft Team

Leadership: David Hohusen, Andrew Habers

Creative Direction / Art Direction: Darci Manley

Writing: Claire Purcell, Darci Manley

Game Design: David Hohusen, Brian Aloisio

Product Design: Ben Rudlin, Jaclyn McKay

Motion Design: Greg Platt

Front-End Engineering: Eddie Cameron, Ryan Wang, Jason Li, David Hohusen, Addison Yarborough

Back-End Engineering: Mark Narduzzi, Rumby Osei, Andrew Habers, Chris Greenway

QA: Mary Stocker, Desiree Altman

Marketing and Community: Joey Davidson, Taylor Reed, Colin Cummings

Music & SFX: Ross Wariner, Cody Uhler

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