Jakub Różalski’s 1920+ Universe Is Terrifyingly Beautiful

Brett Thurston
Jul 22, 2017 · 3 min read
Front of game box for Scythe.

Jakub Różalski’s 1920+ universe is terrifyingly beautiful. Jakub is the artist for the gargantuan board game called Scythe, by Stonemaier Games. It’s website describes it best:

It is a time of unrest in 1920s Europa. The ashes from the first great war still darken the snow. The capitalistic city-state known simply as “The Factory,” which fueled the war with heavily armored mechs, has closed its doors, drawing the attention of several nearby countries.

Scythe (1–5 players, 115 minutes) is a board game set in an alternate-history 1920s period. It is a time of farming and war, broken hearts and rusted gears, innovation and valor.

I’ve always wanted to play the game, but I haven’t had a chance to. One of my hobbies is playing nerdy, obscure board games like these. My current collection includes Dead of Winter, Last Night on Earth, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game: Rise of the Runelords, Smashup, Munchkin, Legendary Marvel, Codenames, Coup and The Resistance to name a few.

(By the way, Coup and The Resistance are the best, cheap games you can buy and they’re made by the same publisher. Dig it!)

Jakub has a reoccurring theme of scale in his oil paintings. Usually you see a human element, a giant element surpassing the human element and gorgeous nature. The 1920+ series, used as the artwork in the Scythe game, displays meager village people amidst looming, steampunk, mech machines. It’s a beautiful illustration of how small humans can be vs how dominate they can be. Allegory aside, his artwork incites wonder in the viewer. Where Jakub must go for his inspiration is a world I could only dream of tapping into.

Check out all his works at his Facebook page and at ArtStation.com. I’ve selected a few pieces to share below.

All images belong to Jakub Różalski and their respective owners.

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Brett Thurston-Ideas

Guiding growth in the digital landscape.

Brett Thurston

Written by

Web Developer, Geek, Husband, Father in no particular order

Brett Thurston-Ideas

Guiding growth in the digital landscape.

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