The White Banner

A Historical/Educational Game for Research Project

The White Banner is a historical, educational mobile game that explores the significance of the Qasr (Palace) in Balis, Syria during the Umayyad time period. Currently, it is in the playable prototype phase that gives a preview to what the game aesthetic, playstyle, and storyline would look like. The main character Marwa/Marwan, a modern Syrian child, is transported back in time to discover the importance of the white banner, the symbol of the Umayyad empire. Throughout the process, the player learns of this historical site in which significant events and conflicts have occured, as well as the people who took part in such historical moments.

My Contributions

As the 2D artist of the development team, I was responsible for iterating upon and creating game screens, UI art, animations, character concepts, and patterns with references to Syrian historical materials for accuracy. Additionally, I communicated with researchers as well as design experts to create interactive animations that encourage the player to be involved in the educational content of the game, learning about the historical context and main plot of the game. I integrated my art assets into game and created functional UI and interactive animations within Unity Engine.

The video above shows all my completed work as seen functioning within the game, and below includes the sketches and creation process of my art.