Jungle Chess
The remaking project
Background
We have childhood memories of playing Jungle Chess (Dou Shou Qi) in Hong Kong, especially during the 1970s and 1990s. 8 animals with different strengths, are battling on a 7x9 board.
It used to cost only a few dollars in stationery shops when we were small. A small paper box contained beautiful handcrafted wood pieces that allowed us to kill a lot of time and have a lot of fun. The time flies. Nowadays, we have so many entertainment options, this tiny board game is no longer as popular as it once was. Due to the manufacturer's discontinuation of production, it's very difficult to find one at a reasonable price.
One of the most famous version of Dou Shou Qi(Discontinued)
*a photo taken from the internet
In the world, there are many beautiful sculpture edition of Chess, and some made with famous IPs, like Mario and Zelda.
*a photo taken from the internet
Special Edition St. Petersburg Luxury Artisan Series Chess Pieces in Bud Rose / Box Wood (lacquered)
A thought occurs to me, why don't I create a 3D print sculpture version of this game? This should be great fun!
Sketching
From scratch, I imagined how the eight animals would look as sculptures. It would be nice if they had a pre-battle post with an angry face.
Digital Sculpting
With the reference pictures, I started digital sculpting in Blender. My first step is to create the animals' shapes using simple meshes, then gradually add details and textures.
As soon as I finished the beta version of the sculptural pieces, I exported their STL files to prepare for 3D printings.
Prototype
In the process of 3D printing, we must add supports to the models, hollow them out, and slice them with the 3D printer's slicing software. After that, the printing files are sent to SLA 3D printers for printing.
As part of the post-processing of 3D printed parts, resin residues were removed and 3D printing support was removed, followed by sanding, priming, and painting after they were post-cured.
Board
Based on the original design, the board was being upgraded to a more graphic-rich version.
After completing the beta version of Jungle Chess (remaster), I discovered several things that need to be improved, such as the fur details.
This led me to develop an upgraded version. Moreover, I created a strategy card system as a remedy for the game's lack of strategy.
Strategy card
The strategy card system is a new add-on for Jungle Chess (Dou Shou Qi). At the start of the game, players could draw three (advice) cards and use the special power to alter the balance. A card can be rejected by the opposing player by sacrifying two cards.
Playing board games has never been more fun than it is now thanks to this system.
Review of Jungle Chess remake - beta vesrion on YouTube (Cantonese)
Gallery
