LogFAQs > #878496404

1. Scythe by Stonemaier Games - Simoun
https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2323719.jpg


Originality: 6.5
Aesthetic: 8.25
Story: 8.25
Personal: 7
Average: 7.5

This is a gorgeous painted cover that looks even better the longer you look at it. The cover is just one of a series of fantastic paintings that resulted in a massive amount of funding through Kickstarter for the board game Scythe, each depicting the unique blend of down-to-earth rural landscapes and cyberpunk inspired war machines. The contrast of nature and technology is striking, resulting in the picture simultaneously looking like a historical painting and some kind of science-fiction video game.

This cover conveys a strong sense of story about its society in which technology is portrayed as an oppressive force, with black smog elevating from the machines into the smoggy sky as farm workers look on. It's almost as if the machines went back time to another era, but despite the fact that they do not belong, they blend in astonishingly well through the use of a consistent art style. The colors are also brilliantly utilized, with the brightest colors on the farm workers’ clothing and the wheat in the field, set off against the stark conformity of coloring for the war machines (aside from the small flags on top).

This is an extremely intriguing concept that makes me curious to learn more about the alternate history depicted in the image. Fantastic cover, and the all-around best entry on the list.