Previously, we gave you a high-level environment overview of iconic show locations we recreated for The Queen’s Gambit Chess. This week, we’re taking a deeper look at how our art team built one of the most important places in Beth Harmon’s journey to chess mastery; the Methuen Home Basement.
How Rockwater’s Artists Rebuilt The Methuen Home Basement
The basement of the Methuen Home might strike you as an unexpected setting for grandiose chess showdowns. However, those who watched the show will know that this very space holds the essence of Beth Harmon's journey, where the intricate game becomes her passion. In early episodes, it is here that her determined spirit clashes against the hesitant mentorship of Mr. Shaibel, the janitor-turned-chess sage.
Our Rockwater team decided that this hallowed ground would be the perfect place for players to be initiated into the art of chess.
"Our team recreated Mr Shaibel’s Basement with great attention to detail. We knew wanted to capture that lived-in feel, so almost all aspects of the space have been textured with minute details. Things such as the cracked tiles, the weathered chessboard, and the grubby janitorial sinks are intended to work together to create the impression that this is a real space.
Those who have played the game will know that the location is used as the setting for the game’s beginner lessons - as a homage to Beth’s discovery of chess here. We felt that it was the perfect place to introduce players to the game; by taking the same formative steps as Beth.” - Jake Parrott, 3D Artist
The Details: The Methuen Home Basement
The instant impact of the environment is bolstered by near obsessive attention to detail of our Rockwater Art Team. Let's zoom in on some of the deeper details that they included to ensure our recreation would feel as authentic to the show as possible on mobile.
At The Table
As mentioned in our previous blog, one of the key aspects of the art direction of The Queen’s Gambit Chess was ensuring that we kept close control of detail and materials based on player sight lines and radially out from the playable locations. The result, we hope, is truly showstopping gameplay areas that shine on high and low-end hardware.
In order to make these gameplay areas truly special for eagle-eyed fans, Netflix provided our team with access to a tonne of exciting behind-the-scenes reference material. The chess board here, for instance, is a replica from the show and if you look closely, you’ll even see subtle fingerprints and smudges amid the layers of chalk and dust that have built up from years of use in the Methuen Home basement.
"We’ve tried to do this throughout the game. Wherever we could, we used reference shots from the show to recreate its chess boards using as much detail as possible. When playing the game we want players to experience chess through the same lens as Beth - so what better way is there to do that than having players use the exact same boards?” - Matt Beech, Artist
The Wider Environment
When choosing to play from the 2D perspective, Mr Shaibel’s chalkboard becomes the animated, playable chess board! Our teams took care to ensure the 2D board of each environment was bespoke to keep players entwined with the location - no matter how they want to play the game.
“When creating art for the game we wanted to ensure that players were immersed in the game’s world at all times. The chalkboard in the Methuen Home basement is a great example of this. Even players who want to play a stripped-back, 2D game of chess can have that immersive experience.” - Philipos Yiannakopoulos, 2D & UI Artist
Up Next on Ripstone ArtStation!
A huge thank you for your support here on Ripstone’s ArtStation! We hope you’ve enjoyed your closer look at the Methuen Home in The Queen’s Gambit Chess! Which environment would you like to see us explore next?
Next week, we’ll be exploring the character design of Beth Harmon in greater detail, including a timelapse of Character Artist Dan Eder’s initial fan art!