Character Animation for Game Marketing: Merge Mansion “Dump Him”

Who doesn’t love good character animation for game marketing? In our latest project for Merge Mansion, the holiday spirit comes with a brutally simple message. A holiday sweater with the text: Dump Him.

Character Animation for Game Marketing: PROJECT OVERVIEW

Holiday emotions are running high in Merge Mansion, and this time the story hinges on razor-sharp character animation.

We teamed up once again with Metacore Games to produce a cinematic performance marketing spot where Maddie receives a mysterious Christmas present from Grandma. Indeed, our job was to build the ad to read instantly as a story from the mysterious world of Merge Mansion.

Inside the box sits a sweater embroidered with two perfectly brutal words: Dump Him. The animation had to hit fast emotional pacing, clear staging, and a clean punchline. We hold these as essentials to high-performing game marketing.

We handled the entire production from storyboard to final delivery. In this case, we tailored every step for maximum visual and narrative impact.

Client

Metacore Games

DESIGN PROCESS: CHARACTER ANIMATION FOR GAME MARKETING

Every strong character animation begins with a solid plan. The client provided a detailed script along with character and background assets. Our job was to shape a compelling visual story that balances emotion, humor, and surprise.

Working from the script, we initially designed missing elements like props and supplemental backgrounds. Thereafter, we storyboarded the action to ensure crystal-clear storytelling for the ad.

ANIMATICS IN CHARACTER ANIMATION FOR GAME MARKETING

The fastest and most flexible way to test pacing, structure, and comedic timing is to use animatics. This is why they are essential in our character animation production process.

Glances, pauses, and tiny hesitations can make or break the joke, therefore we iterate timing until the rhythm reads perfectly as a part of the narrative.

CREATING COLOR KEYFRAMES IN CHARACTER ANIMATION PRODUCTION

Color keyframes serve as a visual tone map. For this reason, in this cozy holiday scene, we leaned into warm lights, rich seasonal color, and soft contrast. As a result, we achieved the right mood and clarity for the animation right from the start.

3D LAYOUT AND CINEMATOGRAPHY

With the animatic approved, we transitioned into layout. At this point, we brought all 3D elements together. Characters, props and environments were placed in virtual space to support storytelling.

Finally we refined cinematography details like over-the-shoulder reveals, controlled zooms, and staging to guide attention and keep every beat crystal clear in the storytelling.

CHARACTER ANIMATION

In this spot we focused on performance. Grandma’s poker face, Maddie’s confusion, and the boyfriend’s chill and particularly self-centered attitude had to feel believable and precise. This the core of great character animation.

Using careful pose-to-pose blocking, micro-expressions, and body language, we shaped every beat so the story reads instantly and lands emotionally, a key requirement for quality character animation.

STYLEFRAMES AND LOOK DEVELOPMENT IN CHARACTER ANIMATION FOR GAME MARKETING

Before locking in full renders, we created styleframes, detailed mockups showing the animation’s lighting, shading, and overall visual language, a vital step in high end character animation production.

Consequently the client approved the look, and we progressed to rendering with confidence that the warmth, polish, and readability were on point for the production.

COMPOSITING IN CHARACTER ANIMATION FOR GAME MARKETING

During compositing, we assembled and refined every element: lighting passes, depth of field, and subtle color grading to give the spot a final cinematic feel, tuned for character animation for game marketing.

Each shot was optimized for clarity across both large and small screens in horizontal and vertical format, because every visual detail contributes to performance and watchability.

FINAL FRAMES

Here’s a selection of stills from the final animation. Each frame captures the emotion, tension, and humor we built into every beat of the story.

CONCLUSION: CHARACTER ANIMATION FOR GAME MARKETING

To sum it up – in today’s mobile game landscape, compelling ideas and stories drive clicks. This ad for Merge Mansion proves that with just a few seconds and a few glances, you can establish plot, tone, and motivation—and deliver a punchline that sticks.

Big thanks to Metacore for this joyfully bizarre collaboration! If you want more, be sure to check out our other character animations for game marketing for Merge Mansion, Small Town Murders, and Merge Gardens. Curious about 3D rendered game assets? Have a look at our work for Supercell’s mo.co.