Card Art - Looking for feedback

...for me. Depends on your audience and, if youngsters, you don't want to scare them *too* much.

Nice cards.

Edited version for the younger audience, seeing the bear with cogs for the 8+ years and up and the unedited version with the intestines for 12+ and up? Or later on some how combine the two versions together with a storyline?

It's possible that it can get annoying, depending on how often you need to move it.

Additionally, if it's too fast, and players are in charge of their own counter, there is a possibility that they might cheat. You obviously can't account for all the ways that players can cheat, but it's something to keep in mind.

Is the text necessary, or just there for flavor? If necessary - then it's necessary. If it's just for flavor, then I suggest you drop it. The image then becomes the most powerful part of the card and I don't have to divide my attention any more than required.

The text in no way detracts from the atmosphere, in fact I think it adds to the creepy factor. When reading the first card I didn't see the shadow at all, until I looked at the second one and spotted it right away. I then went back and realized it was also on the first card. It sounds to me like this game thrives on subtlety, which is lost in version B.

I love the art, really fantastic. However, I was listening to a recent podcast from Plaid Hat Games who have said their last two games, after production, came out darker than they wanted. A lot of it, they said, was the manufacturer seemed to be over saturating the prints. The art designer said that was something he has taken away, and he said he will lighten his art a bit in the future.

I've read your other topic, where each card has two sides and each half of the poem is on either side. That's an amazing piece of design / flavour. I feel like putting the entire poem on one side on this card (which I assume isn't flipped over during gameplay), detracts from that.

Although the flavour text is nice, I'd skip it (on this card) in favour of the clouds. From a gameplay standpoint, the numbers on card B are more clear and easily readable as well. With card B, it's immediately apparent what the purpose of the card is and how it should be used, whereas card A is slightly more cluttered, in my opinion.

I didn't see the number until looking at both pictures closely on my phone. I like picture B because it represents a dream sequense. Clouds with numbers looks like the child in the bed is dreaming and the lurking monster waiting for the right moment to turn the dream into a nightmare. IMO the clouds adds a little atmosphere to the other aspects of the cards already. A little light at the end of the tunnel. A little hope may help the players turn the tide in Pleasant Dreams.

Feel free to use the qoute. Thanks and enjoy. :)

Both look fantastic, however for me the second card has the edge. The text may be ominous, but that shadow jumps out at you when your brain finally processes what your eyes are looking at. Also I find the card with the text to be slightly "busier" than the one with the shadow.

BTW, and I realize this might not be an issue for you, the less text on cards you have the less you have to translate (and reprint) should your game end up being sold in countries where English is a second (or third) language.

I also like the second one better because it pronounces the left side, which is surely related to game mechanics. While I acknowledge the power of art for immersion (although on the other hand there is nowadays imho underused -by myself included- power of imagination), elements related directly to gameplay should be clearly visible and be large enough to spot and interact with easily.