Strive: A Science Fiction Fantasy Board Game
Juliana DiChiara
Illustration (School of Graduate Studies)
About this Item
- Title
- Strive: A Science Fiction Fantasy Board Game
- Contributor Names
-
DiChiara, Juliana (Creator, Illustrator)
-
Leach, Brendan (Thesis advisor)
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Miller, Anelle (Thesis advisor)
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Dittrich, Dennis (Thesis advisor)
- Date
- 2025
- Description
- Strive is a science fiction fantasy tabletop role-playing game in which players assume the roles of factions that have discovered a new planet. Their goal is to restart civilization by exploring, gathering, and using resources to rebuild society. From the beginning, players are directly competing with each other with the overall goal of establishing a new society by focusing on only one faction being victorious.
- Strive focuses on themes such as rebuilding and exploration, while also touching on deeper concepts such as the corrupting influence of greed, power and the cyclical nature of history. These themes are informed by the belief that if society were to prioritize the collective well-being of its people and environment, instead of leaders' personal ambitions, life for everyone would be better. As the game progresses, players reflect on the ethical implications of their actions in the name of victory. Not only will players recognize that their choices are not ethical or sustainable, but how easy it is to do so in the name of a religion, defense or pursuit of knowledge. Players will have to choose between moving forward with their pursuit of power or discovering a strategy that resists temptation toward a more sustainable future.
- When developing Strive I had two core guidelines to follow visually: the images must be readable while small and they must subtly enforce the underlying themes of cyclical history and greed. This was achieved through the use of gold art deco motifs on cards and golden representations of their power used to achieve victory by any means. Locations have subtle hints that perhaps a society fell long ago with ruins of long lost civilizations or colossal behemoths lurking in the now threatened ecosystem. Another way to focus on these themes was the juxtaposition of natural beauty and territorial expansion. Within the rules of certain locations, players can claim the land for their factions by building military bases or religious shrines. I specifically try to highlight how serene and beautiful the landscape is to emphasize the tension of preservation and exploitation.
- It is my hope that the illustrations and the gameplay of Strive encourage players to begin to critically reflect on how these themes exist in real world contexts. Things get better when we start caring about something other than ourselves.
- Artist Statement:
- My illustrations are heavily influenced by my passion for imaginative realism and the desire to make fantasy believable. Growing up with my brothers: exploring the outdoors, playing pretend, watching 90s cartoons and anime, and playing video games ignited my love for fantasy. Anime, particularly the magical girl genre, inspired me with its powerful female protagonists, which were uncommon at the time. As a young girl navigating a difficult family situation, I found empowerment in my imagination: a world where magic and powers could transform my life for the better. This experience shaped my commitment to portraying strong, magical women in my own work.
- As I matured, I discovered League of Legends and Magic: The Gathering which reinforced my interest in fantasy illustration. These games use illustration to convey engaging stories and complex characters, with players selecting specific art that best represents them. This was my first time experiencing the desire for illustration as its own product and not just a marketing device, which motivated my dream of creating splash art for Riot Games and cards for Wizards of the Coast.
- In my creative career, I have spent the last ten years working as a graphic designer while also making a continuous effort to practice illustration in pursuit of those dreams. Although my passion was illustration, graphic design was a strategic and stable career choice which taught me a lot about creating compelling visuals, working across many brands and my love for teaching. With the goal of teaching in mind I started my pursuit for my MFA and decided to focus on Illustration as a way to “pay myself back” for not following my heart. This gave me the opportunity to explore these themes and motivations behind my illustrations and better understand myself as a creative individual.
- During my time at the Fashion Institute of Technology I discovered new outlets of fantasy illustration and entirely new areas within the field of illustration that reinforced my desire to fully commit to becoming an illustrator. Beyond fantasy illustration, I am also interested in editorial illustration and reportage as a way to express the importance of real life issues in the world in hopes of bringing them to light.
- I aspire to use my illustration to bring both fantasy and real life stories into reality and inspire others to embrace their imagination and to feel empowered to take their life in their own hands.
- Medium/Materials/Techniques
- Digital Painting done in Photoshop with Graphic Design elements done in Illustrator and InDesign.
- Medium (Terms)
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator (Computer file)
- Adobe InDesign (Electronic resource)
- Program/Course/Exhibition Information
- Creation Date: 8/26/24-5/20/25
- Program/Degree: Illustration MFA
- Semester: Spring 2025
- Professors: Brendan Leach; Anelle Miller; Dennis Dittrich
- In Exhibition
-
Syndicate XVI: Class of 2025 Visual Thesis Exhibition
- Rights
- In Copyright
- The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
- Identifier
- FIT Repository ID: il_mfa_000011
Citation
DiChiara, J. (2025). Strive: A Science Fiction Fantasy Board Game. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/663932
DiChiara, Juliana. Strive: A Science Fiction Fantasy Board Game. 2025. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/663932
DiChiara, Juliana. "Strive: A Science Fiction Fantasy Board Game." FIT Digital Repository, 2025. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/663932