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ROLE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & PROJECT LEAD
I led the creative North Star for the entire Wonders of The First franchise. I pitched and created the entire universe from scratch, developed a world building framework and recruited and led a team of concept designers, AI artists, and digital compositors to build out 4,200+ pieces of art, including characters, creatures, items, weapons, spells, and lands.
I worked with the executive team on overall brand and product strategy, and helped to identify and execute on key business initiatives, playing a pivotal role in the successful retail launch of the collectible card game.
I recruited and worked alongside Lead Game Designer, Brian Tinsman (former Lead Game Designer on 8 Magic: The Gathering sets) and a team of game designers to build an industry disrupting card game from the ground up, culminating in the very first set, Existence.
I led and managed a team of 10, plus all vendor, printing, and production relationships, printing and shipping an initial card run of nearly 7,000,000 cards!
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OUTCOMES
As Project Lead and Creative Director, I led Wonders of The First to a $1.2 Million Kickstarter campaign with distribution in 800+ big box retail stores across the nation – the first tabletop game to launch directly into big box retail from Kickstarter.
Multiple collectible items already auctioned or sold for tens of thousands of dollars, including “The First Box”, which sold at public auction for $33,333 – a record for 21st century sealed CCG products.
Oversaw the creative production of the first set release, Existence, which included the physical printing of more than 20 pieces of packaging and nearly 7 million individual cards.
Invented multiple industry disrupting products and gameplay features resulting in novel revenue streams, including the “Preslab” (Prerelease Graded Cards), the Dynamic Balance Score framework, and innovative implementations of serialized collectibles.
Fostered new strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as TAG Grading and Carde.io to create best-in-class user experiences and products.
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THE COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME
COMMAND MIGHTY WONDERS, SEIZE THE STONES, AND CONTROL THE 7 REALMS!
In Wonders of The First, players are Stoneseekers – powerful beings who control the fate of the Orbitals. They summon fighting units called Wonders. Players play Wonders into 7 realms to battle and gain control of stones. The player who controls the most stones at the end of round 7 wins the game.
At the core of Leksa is our commitment to not just meet, but exceed, client expectations. We believe in building solutions that are not only visually captivating but also strategically sound.
The “alpha” release, Existence, offers a comprehensive foundation for the world of Wonders of The First, featuring 401 base cards plus tokens, promos, alternate arts, and more:
• 70 Mythic Cards
• 72 Epic Cards
• 84 Rare Cards
• 84 Uncommon Cards
• 91 Common Cards
• 36 Tokens
• 6 Secret Mythic Cards
• 53 Promo Cards
• 32 Alternate Art Cards
• 437 Stonefoil 1/1’s
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WORLD BUILDING
FROM THE FIRST CAME ALL WONDERS...
Amid the tormless chaos, The First ignited the spark or creation, initiating The Great Forming. This cosmic event marked the dawn of existence, where from The Void of nothingness emerged the universe's Wonders to dance upon the edge of oblivion. This act delivered Orbitals of unimaginable beauty and terrifying darkness, setting the stage for an eternal ballet or creation and destruction.
Within this grand desion, every being-be it of flesh, spirit, or ethereal construct, is a Wonder and plays its part in the unfolding drama of the universe. Each one is a thread in the cosmic weave that binds all to The First. As these threads traverse the spectrum of chaos and order, they embody a fundamental truth: from The First came all Wonders.
