Dead Below Deck

Solve a murder case upon the high seas

Client/Publisher

Hunt a Killer. A murder mystery entertainment company that develops high-quality killer stories told through transmedia experiences.

Target Audience

Fans of true crime narratives and code-breaking games

Project Brief

Bring the story experience to life through immersive document design and in-world branding.

Role

• Art Direction

• Identity Design

• Print Design

• Illustration

• Photography

This game was released in 2022 as a Target exclusive product for retail.

Narrative Setting

Stewardess Rachel Veinson has been murdered at sea, aboard the yacht The Old Thunder, and her friend Jen is the only person who believes her death wasn’t an accident. She has air-mailed you this package and is begging you to help her catch Rachel’s killer. Can you bring the murderer to justice before the yacht ports and the killer escapes?

The Game’s Format

This story centers around a murder on the open sea. To solve this case, you must piece together the true story from the evidence provided to you by our contact, Jen Hornigolder. By creating a timeline of events, scrutinizing the alibis of the suspects, and uncovering a hidden truth that threads through this story, you will find who is responsible so they may answer for their actions.

Visual Identity

Product and in-world

This story required an identity system to represent the charter company that owns the yacht where the mystery unfolds. All of this evidence presents a cohesive way to make sense between the evidence tied to the company and what evidence is tied to other organizations or individuals. The system was used to create a wordmark, logomark, stationery, iconography, and ultimately for guiding the photographic selection.

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, custom game icons on a maritime stylized background with props

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, yacht company branding in context

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, locked game tin with branding

Digital Documents and Online User Interface

Evidence that lives online

Some of the evidence in this story, such as videos, audio files, and scanned documents or photographs all need a place to be accessed as they could not within a retail box. This online portal is a way to remain immersed within the story, communicate with the detective that has hired you, and view media evidence. The documents within the retail box are not included here as they provide an element of tactility that is necessary for an immersive gameplay experience.

Product Image Gallery

Product photography

Without spoiling any immersive gameplay elements, I've opted to photograph the physical evidence in a way that communicates a sense of the game's narrative direction and visual themes.

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, game evidence on a maritime stylized background with props

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, skeleton with game box

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, locked game tin with printed evidence background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, locked game tin

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, game map on a maritime stylized background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, game map closeup

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, theme park ticket on a maritime stylized background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, theme park ticket and pamphlet on a maritime stylized background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, theme park ticket on a tropical stylized background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, theme park ticket and pamphlet on a tropical stylized background

Zack Marsh Design, Dead Below Deck, product photography, island pamphlet on a tropical stylized background

Product & Packaging Designer