DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHORT CHARACTER DESIGN FOR A VIDEO GAME BASED ON THE LEGEND OF IVAN SIRKO’S HEROIC DEED ON THE CHORTOMLYK RIVER

Abstract

The article presents the stages of designing the Chort character – an antihero of a video game based on the legend of the heroic deed of Otaman Ivan Sirko on the Chortomlyk River. This study contributes to the integration of Ukrainian mythological narratives into the modern gaming industry and the promotion of national cultural heritage through digital media.Purpose. The development of the Chort character design, taking into account descriptions of the Slavic devil’s appearance in folk traditions, the historical context of Ivan Sirko’s era, and the genre and stylistic features of the video game for which the character is being designed.Methodology. The research applies fundamental principles of a systematic approach to video game character design, including literary-analytical, visual-analytical, and image-associative research methods.Results. The study examines descriptions of Chort’s appearance in Ukrainian folklore literature, which served as the foundation for developing the character design for a video game based on the legend of Otaman Ivan Sirko. Functional and aesthetic moodboards were created, leading to the development of 15 conceptually different character thumbnails. The sketching process involved stages of detailing, searching for clothing styles and external features, and selecting colors based on associative perception. Considering the specifics of the video game, model sheets and combat poses for the Chort character were developed. A compositional analysis of the designed Chort character was conducted.Scientific novelty. The article systematizes the visual and narrative characteristics of Chort in Ukrainian folklore, taking into account the historical context of Ivan Sirko’s era. For the first time, a conceptual design of Chort as a video game antihero has been developed, based on a specific historical and legendary event – the heroic deed of Ivan Sirko on the Chortomlyk River.Practical relevance. The Chort character design was developed for a video game with a Ukrainian theme to promote Ukraine’s cultural heritage both domestically and internationally.