-Ringling C.A. Alumnus
"What the Hell?"
-Ringling MD Alumnus
"Why did you
make this?"
A party game for people in debt.
Rat Artist Insanity started off as a joke.
"Man, wouldn't it be cool if when my friends from college and I hang out, we could play a game that helped us reminisce about our years at art school?"
What came next could only be described as a year long fever dream. Asking questions, doing research, writing jokes... through lots of reflection, late nights, and love, Rat Artist Insanity was born.
Rat Artist Insanity is quite possibly my favorite passion project I've gotten to create. Consisting of 397 individual cards (110 prompts, 285 responses, a Bonus Card and The Rule card), a hand designed box and custom playlist; from initial concept to completion this project took roughly 9 months from start to finish.
Kinda like a baby.
To make my "Not-Yet-Titled Art School Card Game For My Friends" covertly blend in as an addition to the pre-existing world famous game, Cards Against Humanity.
Cards Against Humanity was the perfect game to expand my idea upon. It allowed for a small or large number of players, the multi-card format was perfect and allowed for a maximum inclusion of ideas, and its randomized match-up play format allowed for almost endless replay-ability.
So where do we start?
Luckily, it's art school we're talking about here.
There was no shortage of content I could use for this.
The goal was simple.
After writing over 500 cards...
and beginning to narrow down my selection, I got started working on the box design. I wanted the look to blend in seamlessly with the existing Cards Against Humanity sets, but to also include many subtle nods to familiar designs that could only found on Ringling's campus.
While the top of the box was designed to replicate a Cards Against Humanity cover (with very few liberties taken), I chose for the bottom of the box to be heavily influenced by the "Momentum" mural found in Ringling's own Alfred R. Goldstein Library. A sight intensely familiar and instantly recognizable to all students on campus.
I had quite a bit of fun experimenting within the design constraints during this part of the process. Forcing myself to mimic a pre-existing design provided me with strict guideline of elements that I needed to find a way to include in order for the game to look convincing. Hiding jokes within these design elements and adding hidden easter eggs was one of my favorite parts of the design process.
If I learned anything from my Design and Branding classes, it would be that any successful brand has a good, strong logo.
For this project I needed a logo that was adaptable. Something that could be used in multiple areas; on the outer box, on both sets of cards within (black and white) and it couldn't distract the user when they actually played the game. It had to look like it belonged in all places it might be needed. Essentially, the more versatile I could make it, the more places I could include it.
Additionally, in order to stay on theme, I wanted design it using elements that were unique solely to Ringling College itself.
This is a game about design school...
it needs a good logo.
I decided to use the strongest Ringling imagery, the rectangle, which is the main key element within Ringling's logo, and the armadillo, Ringling's proud mascot.
After designing my own armadillo logo, and combining it with the two additional elements (the rectangle and the games title), I was able to curate the perfect adaptable logo that could be featured in various elements of the game while not disrupting the games minimalistic design.
What about the name!?
Well, there were a few requirements I wanted to meet before I named this baby:
-
It was best to have something that somewhat rhymed with "Cards Against Humanity"
to even further strengthen the association between the two games. -
It needed include the same number of words (3).
-
It had to be something that was super specific to Art School.
Rat. Artist. Insanity.
When you think about it, it was kind of the ONLY option.
And thus, it was born.
After almost a year of blood, sweat, and misprints, Rat Artist Insanity finally existed...
and it was just in time for my Ringling friends to relocate all over the globe and not actually ever get a chance to play it in person (thanks a lot Covid).
Nevertheless, I have no regrets. I am so grateful I got to experience creating my own card game THAT I CAN ACTUALLY PLAY, and see one of my harebrained ideas live and breathe (as much as a card game can).
Occasionally when I get to see some Ringling Alums, it is the perfect wildcard to whip out, and the reactions are always priceless.
To answer my own question,
"How cool would it be to have a card game my friends and I
could play about our experience in Art School?"
Needless to say...
It's pretty damn cool.
FAQ!
"Ok but, is it real?"
Yes!
Rat Artist Insanity is a real-life, physical game and can be played just like Cards Against Humanity, with some fun additions to the gameplay of course!
"Can I buy Rat Artist Insanity?"
No!
Rat Artist Insanity was created as a personal, satirical, art piece to commemorate my friends and I's time at Ringling College of Art + Design. While much of the deck would still be applicable to the Ringling student of today, many of the cards would not be relevant due to changes over time within the College. Additionally many of the cards are inside jokes referencing my friends and I's personal experiences.
To be put frankly, you just had to be there.
*Rat Artist Insanity was created as personal, satirical, passion project and is not for sale.
She was never made to be sold, she was made to be loved