BURNJACK

Indie games live or die by their branding. With thousands of new games dropping every year, getting people to stop, look, and care is half the battle—especially for a brand-new studio. BurnJack is the first game from PipPep Games, a new indie dev studio I’ve partnered with, based out of South Florida. It’s a casino roguelike inspired by Balatro and Cuphead, blending deck-building mechanics with a wild, 1920s-meets-underworld casino aesthetic.

In BurnJack, you play as a lost soul who wakes up in a casino run by a skeleton mobster (BurnJack himself). The deal? Play your way through the casino floors, beat mobster bosses, and win your shot at one of BurnJack’s magical relics. Run out of money? Too bad—you’re sent back to the front doors to try again. But as the game unfolds, it becomes clear that there’s more at stake than just some casino chips—you and the other monstrous patrons might actually be gambling for your souls.

BurnJack’s development was already in motion with an international team of over ten artists creating characters, 3D models, and hand-painted backgrounds. But we hit a significant roadblock: we couldn’t trademark BurnJack (or launch a Kickstarter) without a finalized logo and branding package. We had already gone through two different logo designers, but none of the concepts fit the tone we were going for—nothing felt fun, memorable, or on-brand for the game.

That’s where I came in. I took on the challenge of developing BurnJack’s brand identity and website UX/UI, creating:

A CUSTOM LOGO AND BRAND GUIDELINES that capture the humor, energy, and high-stakes casino feel.
A KICKSTARTER-READY WEBSITE MOCKUP to introduce the game and pull in players.
MERCH MOCKUPS AND STATIONERY COLLATERAL to bring the branding to life in real-world applications.

The goal? To ensure BurnJack doesn’t just blend in—but actually stands out. This branding would set the tone for the game’s entire marketing push and, most importantly, help give the team the confidence to go all-in on our Kickstarter launch in late 2026.

BURNJACK’S WINNING HAND: BUILDING A VIDEO GAME BRAND WORTH BETTING ON.

PROJECT TYPE: Creative Direction, Branding, UX, Marketing
ROLE: Freelance Creative Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy
INDUSTRY: Video Games, Social Media, Crowdfunding
TOOLS: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Balsamiq
DURATION: Q4 2023 - Present

JUMP TO:

PROBLEM
PROCESS
SOLUTION + RESULTS

PROBLEM:

THE BRANDING GAMBLE.

PipPep Games had a killer game concept but no brand identity to match. If BurnJack didn't look the part, it wouldn't get the attention it needed—especially in such a competitive space.

NO TRADEMARK, NO MARKETING.
Without a finalized logo, we could not legally own the name and, therefore, couldn't start promoting the game.

FAILED LOGO ATTEMPTS.
We'd already worked with two seasoned game branding designers, but nothing truly captured BurnJack's tone or style.

A NICHE BUT GROWING GENRE.
The goal wasn’t to create something wholly traditional or that looked like a corporate chain. It needed a unique voice that felt high-end but still welcoming.

TEAM MORALE AND CONFIDENCE.
A game's branding is its identity; without one, it was hard to push forward with the confidence we needed.

Branding isn't just a logo—it's how people experience a game before they even play it. BurnJack needed to make a strong statement right from the start.

BUILDING A VIDEO GAME BRAND WORTH BETTING O

✦

BUILDING A VIDEO GAME BRAND WORTH BETTING O ✦

STACKING THE DECK FOR SUCCESS.

Rather than just throwing together a logo, I built BurnJack’s brand as a whole experience. Every element had to work together to tell a cohesive story that felt true to the game.

A DISTINCTIVE LOGO.
Custom typography that felt bold, zany, and unmistakably BurnJack—with a spade motif to tie in the casino theme.

A STRONG BRAND IDENTITY.
Colors, fonts, and brand guidelines that gave BurnJack a clear, recognizable style.

A KICKSTARTER-READY BRAND PRESENCE.
A website mockup that made it easy to understand the game, build hype, and convert players into backers.

MERCH AND MARKETING MATERIALS.
T-shirt designs, promo assets, and collateral that not only made the brand feel tangible but also made our audience feel connected and involved.

More than just visuals, I crafted a brand with a voice that was fun, unique, and impossible to ignore.

PROCESS:

BUILDING A VIDEO GAME BRAND WORTH BETTING O

✦

BUILDING A VIDEO GAME BRAND WORTH BETTING O ✦

SOLUTION + RESULTS:

A WINNING HAND FOR PIPPEP GAMES.

The impact of this branding overhaul was immediate:

BURNJACK FINALLY HAD A LOGO THE TEAM WAS PROUD OF.
No more back-and-forth with outside designers; we finally had something that felt like BurnJack.

WE CAN FINALLY TRADEMARK THE GAME.
Huge milestone unlocked, meaning we can legally start marketing.

KICKSTARTER MOMENTUM IS NOW IN ACTION.
A strong brand identity, website mockup, and promotional assets gave BurnJack everything it needed to stand out and attract backers.

TEAM CONFIDENCE SKYROCKED.
For the first time, the game felt like an actual, marketable product, not just a passion project.

This project wasn’t just about making BurnJack look good—it was about giving PipPep Games the tools and confidence to take this game to the next level. Strong branding does more than catch eyes; it creates excitement, builds trust, and lays the foundation for success.

With BurnJack’s branding locked in, PipPep Games is set up to launch a killer Kickstarter in late 2026, and I know players are in for a game that’s fun as hell.

FUN FACT:
MY GRAPHIC DESIGN JOURNEY STARTED IN JOURNALISM AND PRINT MEDIA