Qiddiya Falcon Quest
Translating the traditional Saudi art of falconry into an experience for Qiddiya City
Take the skies and discover the wonders of Qiddiya City
Created for Qiddiya City as part of their new Experience Center, this fast-paced, immersive flying game puts players in the wings of a Saker Falcon — Saudi Arabia’s national bird — as they sweep through a colourful, playful reimagining of the Qiddiya Valley. Along the way, they catch a glimpse of the entertainment, sport and cultural experiences that will shape the city’s future.
With so much to discover, our challenge was to keep the story feeling light, clear and easy to follow. Generous white space, bold dynamic shapes and hand-crafted illustrations give the experience warmth and personality, while helping guide the audience through the journey without overloading them.
The full experience can run for around ten minutes.
From ideation and sketches to the World of Play
As Creative Lead, I was responsible for shaping the project from its earliest concept into a fully realised playable experience, defining its creative vision, narrative, gameplay mechanics and overall art direction.
Working closely with a multidisciplinary team of artists, designers, developers and animators, I helped transform a simple idea into an immersive flying adventure that celebrates Saudi falconry through the "Power of Play".
From crafting the player's journey and designing the core flight experience to guiding the visual language, cinematic world-building and emotional pacing, my role was to ensure every creative decision contributed to a cohesive, intuitive and memorable experience while balancing technical constraints and an ambitious development timeline.
Credits
-
Mediamonks, Pico Art International
-
City of Qiddiya
-
Marcio Leite (me)
-
Marcio leite, Matheus Faustino, Declan Byrne
-
Lennart Verhoeff
-
Ronald Kraft, Kornelis van der Bij
-
Jeoffrey Van Overveld