Designer Diary #2: How to Choose a Theme and Design Cards

September 06 • 10 min read

Making a card game is more than just building mechanics. It is all about creating a world in which players want to sink themselves. One of the absolute most important aspects of this is selecting a theme that resonates with players, and for Chonker Party, the theme was decided fairly early on.

The theme for Chonker Party is based on cute, chunky animals — or “chonks”. In the following diary entry, I will walk you through how I chose this theme, how the cards evolved, and how I ensured that the artwork and game mechanics aligned with the playful and competitive spirit of Chonker Party.

Choosing the Theme: The Joy of Chonks

Themes can make or break a game. They can be the deciding factor in whether someone picks up the game off a shelf, shares it with friends, or even backs it on crowdfunding. The inspiration for Chonker Party came from a deeply personal place — my love for chunky animals, particularly my childhood dog, called Max.

When deciding the themes, I actually asked around people that playtested the game when it was just some handwritten cardboards. From space, to western, to even dance themed, I was looking into everything that could attract the types of players that would enjoy Chonker Party, or, as we would say in UI/UX Design, our end users.

This, combined with my preference of including Max in my first game is how I finally settled on the idea of ‘Chonks’. A chubby animal theme would have been the right balance: funny and charming, but at the same time relatable so the game can really be competitive. I wanted a theme to attract both casual players and more seasoned gamers looking for strategic depth.

This mix of humor and strategy best shows what I love about games: getting people together to laugh while still feeding that inner fire to outwit your opponents.

Card Design Evolution: From Sketches to the Final Product

One of the most exciting aspects of designing Chonker Party was watching the cards evolve. The journey in card design started with the most basic of prototypes — hand-drawn sketches on cardboard, with some very basic color. By this stage, the game was only “my card game” and did not even have a name. But these rough versions were crucial for picking up feedback.

First Iteration (Far Left Card)
The first iteration was my first attempt: cards featuring basic illustrations of chonky animals and a clear objective to test mechanics. At this stage, very little effort was put into making things look nice. It even included some placeholder text, where I knew I wanted some flavor funny text.

Middle Prototype (Center Card)
As the mechanics were refined, the artwork evolved as well. The middle prototype was a step up—it had more polished illustrations, better font choices, and an overall cleaner layout. This is where I started coming up with texts as well. However, through more testing and feedback, I realized it was too simple, some called it even childish (think children flashcards). There was also an issue with the border – the finer the border, the more alignment issues I faced during printing. This iteration helped me understand the practical challenges of translating digital designs into physical products—something I hadn’t anticipated fully.

Final Design (Far Right Card)
The final design streamlined everything. I came up with what I hope is a more refined background, making the cards more visually appealing on the table. Also, I updated all visuals for the chonkers. This final design kept the playful, clear theme intact, while ensuring the game could be enjoyed for both its mechanics and its visuals. Each chonk became a character players could root for, or against, making the game feel more dynamic and personal.

Thematic Consistency: Blending Art and Mechanics

Thematic consistency in Chonker Party was a consistent challenge but totally necessary. Every decision, from which types of action cards to include, and the artworks on it, to exactly how the chonks should act as universal trump cards, drives home an overall theme of light-hearted but competitive fun.

In Chonker Party, chonks aren’t just cute; they practically become powerhouses, and that’s why I needed a very clear difference between them, the universal trumps, and normal points, or filler cards. Same thing with how I wanted to display points (as food) versus how I wanted to display filler cards.

A further important element in maintaining thematic consistency was the game mechanics themselves reflecting the “chonky”, animal theme, from the spoiled -1 points to the filler, or point cards. Input from local and online playtesters has, therefore, been vital to making sure this thematic consistency is on point. By always asking “Does this fit the world of Chonker Party?” it meant we could ensure that both the artwork and the mechanics felt cohesive.

Conclusion

The journey from rough sketches to a fully realized card game has been a deeply rewarding experience. It all came out with a competitive twist on adorable animals through the design of Chonker Party.

From there, every decision and design choice made was shaped by this theme. Iteration after iteration, playtest after playtest, and lessons learned in printing have allowed us to make a game that is, at least, cute to look at. The outcome really reflects the fun, competitive spirit I set out to capture from the start.

I can’t wait to continue developing this theme with much more updates and expansions in the future, and I hope you’ll keep joining me for behind-the-scenes insights.

Thank you for accompanying me on this creative journey, and, as always, keep the chonks chunky and the party going!