Kamla · Kaynat Zehra

Art Director · MadMantra Games · 1B+ trailer views · 25M+ downloads

Kamla is the horror game that put MadMantra on the map, and I was its Art Director from the studio's earliest days. I collaborated with the team to develop the brand identity and logo, created the concept art that established Kamla's visual style, and illustrated the Steam capsules, including the semi realistic portrait that went viral. Along the way I mentored and guided the art team on game assets, keeping the visuals consistent and high quality across the whole project.

Available on Steam

Also on the Play Store and the App Store

Shaping the Vision

Before Kamla had a face, MadMantra needed one. Working with the team, I developed the studio's brand identity, taking the logo from loose pencil marks through refinement and colour exploration to a mark built for recognition and consistency.

Iterations on the left, the final identity on the right: a grinning mantra of red and blue that now fronts every MadMantra release.

Building Kamla

I created the concept art for Kamla, the game's main character, establishing the unique visual style the whole project grew from. Sketches became colour roughs, roughs became a refined portrait, and the portrait became the Steam capsules that carried her into the world.

Kamla character development: rough sketch, expression study, colour rough, refined lineart and early capsule concept

Final Kamla Steam capsule, portrait variant

Final Kamla Steam capsule, veiled variant

Development on the left, the final Steam capsules on the right. The semi realistic portrait went viral, became the reference for Kamla's 3D model, and carried the game to 25M+ downloads on the Play Store.

Telling the Story

To add narrative depth to the game, I developed the storyboard and illustrations for Kamla's origin story: a wedding, a betrayal, and the night the bride becomes possessed. These panels play as the story's final reveal, giving the horror its heart.

Some of the illustrations from the game →

Designing the World

Guiding the art team on the game's assets, I also designed pieces of Kamla's interactive world: puzzle icons, ability wheels and counters that keep the handpainted, folk horror texture alive in every corner of the UI.

Falling figure game illustration, red variant

Falling figure game illustration, blue variant

And here is where it all leads: the game itself. Kamla unfolds inside a haunted Indian haveli, and these screenshots show the art direction living in every frame. Crumbling plaster, terracotta floors, folk patterned rugs and lamplight that never quite reaches the corners.

Kamla screenshot: the haveli hall with fallen chandelier and worn carpet

Kamla screenshot: weathered wooden doors under a single wall lamp

Kamla screenshot: red lit room with brass elephants and folk carpet

Kamla screenshot: dark arched corridor with a distant lantern

Kamla screenshot: a doll abandoned on the terracotta floor