Important

I don't want anything AI-generated. I can do that myself. Please only bid if you are planning to create the art yourself.

Overview

I'm developing a 2-D tower defence game called "Keyboard Defence" that teaches both children and adults how to touch-type. Every action in the game is triggered from the keyboard, so the visuals have to feel inviting, energetic and above all fun.

The overall look I'm after is cartoony and playful — bright colours, chunky outlines and expressive characters. Everything should be silly and charming rather than scary, so younger players stay engaged.

The Setting

The game is set in a living, growing village — not a tech or keyboard-themed world. Think a cozy medieval/fantasy settlement: thatched roofs, a river, rolling hills, forests, farmland, and winding paths. The village starts as a few tents around a campfire and gradually grows into a thriving town with workshops, walls, a town hall, a watchtower, a tavern, farms, and more. Eventually, hero villagers set out to found new settlements, and the player oversees a small kingdom.

The world should feel organic and warm — somewhere kids would want to explore. No keyboards, cables, or tech motifs in the environment.

Characters — Villagers

The heart of the game is the villagers. They're a diverse cast of cartoonish characters with big personalities. They have roles:

• Archers / Scouts — nimble, alert, maybe a bit cocky
• Blacksmiths — sturdy, dependable, strong arms
• Mages — quirky, mysterious, colourful robes
• Farmers — cheerful, sun-weathered, always carrying something
• Healers — gentle, calm, glowing hands or herbal pouches
• Captains — confident, armoured, natural leaders

Villagers grow from nervous Newcomers to confident Heroes. I'd love to see a few characters shown at different stages of their growth arc — a shy arrival becoming a proud hero. They should be expressive: cheering when things go well, looking nervous during attacks, celebrating after victories. Kids need to care about these characters.

Characters — Enemies

The enemies should be quirky and humorous — silly rather than threatening. Some ideas for types:

• Crawlers — slow, bumbling, maybe a bit dopey
• Sprinters — frantic, cartoonishly fast, limbs flailing
• Tanks — big, lumbering, maybe wearing a cooking pot as a helmet
• Swarms — tiny, numerous, like a chaotic crowd of little critters
• Mimics — shapeshifters, visually tricky, maybe with question marks or shifting features
• Invisible Ink — ghostly/translucent, fading in and out

Feel free to interpret the enemy theme — zombies, goblins, mischievous creatures — whatever fits a playful, non-threatening tone.

Environments & Key Locations

I'd like concept art for the village at different stages of growth:

1. Early village — A few tents, a campfire, a dirt path, a simple wooden gate. Humble but hopeful.
2. Growing town — Proper buildings, a town square with a notice board, a watchtower, walls under construction, bustling activity.
3. Thriving settlement — Stone walls, a town hall, a tavern with warm light, farms, a river with a bridge, flags and banners.

Key locations to sketch:

• Watchtower — Where enemy alerts come from. A bell at the top, maybe a flag.
• Town Hall — The centre of the village. Where quests and governance happen.
• Village Gate — Where new villagers arrive and enemies attack.
• Tavern / Campfire — Where villagers gather to tell stories. Warm, cozy.
• Notice Board — A physical board in the village square with pinned notes.
• Farms and fields — Peaceful, colourful, crops growing.

Each location will have a sign, banner, or chalkboard displaying a word (this is how the player navigates — they type the word shown). These signs should feel natural and part of the world, like hanging wooden signs or chalked-on boards that villagers swap out.

Emotional Tone

This is a game where players build something they care about. The villagers need the player — they cheer when you do well, look worried during tough moments, and celebrate victories. The art should convey warmth, community, and growth. Think: a world kids want to protect.

Deliverables

Hand-drawn or digital illustration is fine. I'm more interested in clear silhouettes, colour direction and personality than polished final assets. Deliver each piece as a layered sketch file or high-res PNG so my team can reference them during production.

Specifically, I'd like:

• 3–4 villager characters at different growth stages (Newcomer → Hero)
• 4–6 enemy types
• 3 village environment concepts (early, mid, thriving)
• 3–4 key location sketches (watchtower, town hall, gate, tavern)
• A colour palette / mood board

If anything about the brief feels unclear, let me know — I'm happy to answer quickly so you can focus on creating. Budget: AUD 30–250 Skills: Graphic Design, Illustrator, Illustration, Caricature & Cartoons, Concept Art, 2D Animation, Digital Art, 2D Game Art, 2D Drawing, Character Illustration