H.E.L.I.O.S. is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a dystopian future where contestants compete in a tournament to be crowned “The Champion of the Sun”. But as the game progresses, the players begin to uncover a more sinister plot that leaves them questioning themselves… and the world.

Inspiration

Inspired by post-apocalyptic films like The Hunger Games, Mad Max, Matrix, and The Last One, and various video games like the The Last of Us, we wanted to create a world in which Greek mythology blends with technology and is used for entertainment in a post-apocalyptic scenario. Together we selected the theme of deception, which inspired the concept of a competition and the design of the characters, who have to try harder than ever to survive in a world of scarce resources.

Visual Reference Notes

MYTHOLOGY MEETS TECHNOLOGY

The city is built on a cliff-side, overlooking a vast polluted ocean.
The HELIOS corporation is represented by tall, sturdy Brutalist structures vs. the outer city made with a mess of trash and left over parts.
There is a mix of futuristic neon and ancient Greek aesthetic that influences the architecture of the city.
The tournament arena is also influences by ancient Greek open-air theaters and neon e-sports arenas.
Clothing could include loose, flowy fabric along with more modern styles.
Potential Icons: The Sun, Four Horses, Circles/Halos

Our Shining Stars…

Zephyr Drumann

A welder living in the underground community beneath the city that holds the tournament. Abandoned from birth as a baby, Zephyr holds a strong dislike of HELIOS and hopes to expose their corruption, even if he goes against his values. He enters the yearly games in order to provide for his community, including his adopted family and boyfriend Malachi. He uses his street smarts and athletics to survive.
Solomon Cage

A devoted supporter to HELIOS who hopes to join the organization by competing in the games. He works as an insurance analyst in a corporate building within the city. He is a by-the-book citizen who constantly butts heads with the other competitors, when they play against the rules.
Dexter Gryos

An ex-con who competes in the games in order to have his criminal record cleared completely. HELIOS secretly tasks him with sabotaging the games by setting up traps and activating them, but he ends being eliminated because he gets caught in one of his own traps. He is extremely violent, but he wants to live a normal life after the competition. He also loves to eat sandwiches.
Minotaur Eclipse

The head of HELIOS and the tournament. He has a strong “god” complex while fears losing his power and authority. Years after “the BIG event” and formation of the tournament, he hopes to keep everyone in the city in line. As the head of the city and potentially the world, he controls all the media shown to the citizens. Minotaur displays little emotion as he observes and curates the games from afar, and he gets what his wants in the end.
Dana Roc

The host of HELIOS corporation’s Tournament of the Sun. He’s an energetic personality who hypes up the audience and guide the contestants through the trials of the tournament. No one knows if he’s a real person or a projection created by HELIOS.