Secrets of the Luminara - #KB3DChallenge Winners

The Secrets of the Luminara Challenge has drawn to a close, leaving behind an awe-inspiring collection of worlds, stories, and breathtaking artistry. Artists from across the globe brought the Secrets of the Luminara to life, crafting hidden realms, ancient technologies, and cinematic spectacles—all using the free Secrets of the Luminara Kit.

We’re thrilled to spotlight the Top 3 winners in the Concept, In-Motion, and Game Submission categories, sharing insights into their creative journeys. Our esteemed panel of judges—including industry legends and recruiters from top studios—faced the difficult task of selecting winners from an incredible pool of talent. With a prize lineup featuring support from Sony, AMD, Adobe Substance 3D, Maxon, Razer, Dell, StretchSense, CG Pro, and The Gnomon Workshop, this challenge was a true celebration of creativity.

Read on to discover how the winning pieces came to life!

Concept Art Winners

1st Place: Shady Hamza, "The Last Descent"

Website • Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Summary:
"When approaching this piece for the KitBash3D challenge, I wanted to create something that truly embraced the theme of adventure, discovery, and the unintended chaos that often comes with uncovering lost civilizations. I was particularly inspired by classic adventure films and games, where a single action like stealing a sacred artifact sets off a chain reaction of thrilling events. With Secrets of the Luminara, I aimed to capture that exact moment: a daring thief escaping with an ancient treasure, unaware that his actions have awakened the creatures sworn to protect it.

To bring this vision to life, I began the process by sketching out ideas and exploring different compositions to establish a strong narrative flow. Once I had a direction, I moved into Blender to block out the major shapes and refine the scene’s structure. 

A key part of bringing the environment to life was the use of KitBash3D assets. Their detailed models not only helped speed up my workflow but also provided a strong foundation for world-building, allowing me to focus on storytelling and composition. The intricate architectural elements fit seamlessly into the scene and played a huge role in shaping the atmosphere. 

The terrain was crafted in Gaea, allowing for a natural and immersive landscape, which I then integrated into Blender. I assembled the scene using mainly KitBash3D’s models, and a couple of scanned and custom elements, carefully arranging the composition to guide the viewer’s eye toward the focal point. A rigid body simulation helped create the collapsing bridge, adding to the sense of urgency. The final step was Photoshop, where I refined the lighting, atmosphere, and textures using photobashing techniques to enhance realism and storytelling. My goal was to make the scene feel like a frame from an epic cinematic moment one that leaves the viewer wondering what happens next."



Judge Michael Johnson wrote of the piece: "I absolutely love the composition and sense of depth in this concept. My attention is immediately captured by the character making their escape, as every element naturally guides the eye toward them—the lines of the bridge, the gaze of the flying dinosaurs, and even the directional flow of the volumetric light rays."

2nd Place: Markus Biegholdt, "Bleeding Mountains"

Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Summary:

"Looking at Aztec sculptures and their golem-like portrayal of figures I knew I wanted to build one myself, and the Kit gave me the perfect parts for it. I wanted to use the Kit unconventionally but also tell a story. I started with a rough sketch to get a sense for the layout, my playground to tell my story. To capture a sense of exploration spark curiosity, I opted for an overgrown ruin rather than a pristine location. I want to leave room for interpretation of how the giant came to fall and what might have been.

The indigenous people are hunting down our explorer, to protect their ancient and sacred lands. A simple, Indiana Jones-like chase scene felt fitting for my setting. It's familiar yet it never really gets old.

Initially, the lava wasn't there. Instead, I had waterfalls but it felt too calm and tranquil. The lava really brought much more urgency and drama to the painting, creating a dead end for our explorer. A cliffhanger so to speak."

Judge Jakub Knapik wrote: "I really love the storytelling and composition of the entry. It has this interesting layering. At first, we digest the great contrast between the natural environment and the obviously almost alien structure buried in the past. But then we start to notice the fascinating dynamics of the situation skillfully presented in the image."

3rd Place: James Freeman, "Portal to Exploration"

Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Statement:

"One of my favorite things to do with KitBash3D’s Kits is to pull them apart and find new ways to stick them back together. With the Luminara Kit, I was immediately drawn to two elements: the gas bags of the blimp ship and the circular stone portal ring. This led me to experiment with scale, realizing I could transform the portal into a massive structure over 120 meters in diameter - large enough to frame an entire airship.

This gave me my core concept and composition. A giant airship coming through the stone portal to explore an ancient city. I began with a basic block layout to define the composition, choosing a low camera angle to emphasize the monumental scale.

I built the city and the walls by scaling elements of the Luminara Kit, adjusting the textures to give the light and dark contrast I wanted. Adding simple people models, birds, and vegetation to set the scale. I made sure the light and shadows from the portal highlight specific architecture such as the bell tower. The bell tower is actually built from a scaled up water fountain base, with the stone gazebo on top, and a highly reflective bell I modelled to catch the light.

For the airship I was inspired by the 1930s Mercury train and its streamlined design. I modelled the airship from basic shapes, incorporating elements of art deco with sci-design and details. I used the gas bags and steam stack from the Luminara blimp ship, the cargo plane engines, and even the jeep lights. The airship textures are all modified from the cargo plane.

The entire scene was made in Blender, with a light paintover in Procreate to soften some features."


Judge Patrick O'Keefe wrote: "I really enjoy the sense of wonder, I can feel a story is about to be told. The Scale and atmosphere really bring a gravitas to the image and I am excited to see what happens next."

In-Motion Winners

1st Place: Arthur Baum, "TukTuk Tango"

Website • Instagram

Artist's Statement:

"Winning first prize for 'TukTuk Tango' has been an incredible milestone and honor for me, embodying the fusion of spontaneous inspiration and humorous storytelling. The idea struck one morning—why not let KitBash's jeep, fed up with its lazy and indulgent owner, become the hero of its own high-octane adventure? Inspired by Neil Druckmann's words, 'Simple stories, complex characters,' I set out to create a narrative where an inanimate object transforms into a character bursting with personality, conflict, and heart.

A significant part of my creative journey stems from my experience as a director of photography working on commercials and narrative short films. This background has been invaluable, enhancing my approach to writing, lighting, framing, and editing the short film. Speaking of, I’ve always believed that a shift in perspective can redefine storytelling. With 'TukTuk Tango,' I intentionally moved away from typical human-centered tales. By giving the jeep a vibrant personality, the film explores the theme that the journey is the destination, challenging our notions of adventure and heroism. This unconventional approach allowed me to craft a world where even a lifeless object could embody drama, conflict, and ultimately, a satisfying conclusion.

Every project begins on a blank canvas—my journey started with a Miro whiteboard to map out ideas and references, later visualized with Midjourney. The technical process was as dynamic as the story itself:

Rigging and World Building:

- Jeep and vehicle rigging were done in Unreal Engine 5.4 using a highly customized version of the plugin Cinematic Car Rig by Amirhossein Hemmatyar. 
- The world was constructed in Unreal Engine 5.4 with various assets by KitBash3D, Quixel Megascans, Scans Factory and others providing the perfect backdrop for the jeep’s adventures.

Simulations and Visual Effects:

- Environmental fracturing was simulated in Blender with RBD Lab 1.6, bypassing Unreal’s often unreliable Chaos plugin.
- Car crashes were simulated in Cinema 4D by my buddy Ali Amirian.
- Fire, smoke, and liquid effects were created in EmberGen and LiquiGen by JangaFX, with VDBs refined by using Zibra VDB.
- Cloth simulations were managed in Blender 4.2 for the jeep and in Marvelous Designer 12 and Metatailor for the character.

Texturing:
- (Re)Texturing the cars was done inside Blender and Adobe Substance Painter.
- My Indiana Jones character was built with the help of Metahuman Creator and refined using custom 8k textures from 3DScanstore. 

Animation:
- Automotive animations were handled with the Cinematic Car Rig plugin and manually keyframed inside UE's sequencer.
- Character animations were captured using Rokoko’s Smartsuit Pro II, the Smartgloves, the Headrig and Metahuman Animator, with Cascadeur handling the animation cleanup.

Rendering and Post-Production:
- Rendering was done directly in Unreal Engine 5.4 using deferred rendering and Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) with low temporal subsamples (between 16 and 32) to achieve that cinematic polish.
- Editing was completed in DaVinci Resolve 19, while immersive sound design and music were composed in Logic by Aaron Hagedorn."

2nd Place: Kory Heinzen, "The Adventures of Buckeye Johnson"

Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Statement:

"My entry for the Secrets of the Luminara contest is a love letter to the adventure films I grew up with—Indiana Jones, classic Italian Hercules movies, Jules Verne adaptations, and, of course, the legendary stop-motion worlds of Ray Harryhausen. These films had a handcrafted, tactile quality that made their fantastical settings feel both epic and intimate. In an age of high-fidelity CGI and AI-driven visuals, I wanted to embrace that vintage, low-fi cinematic style—evoking the charm of practical effects, miniatures, and hand-animated VFX.

At the heart of this piece is a story that serves as a glimpse into a larger world of adventure. I wanted to create something that instantly sparks curiosity—teasing an expansive world and a hero whose exploits feel like they belong to a much bigger saga. This teaser follows "Buckeye," Johnson, an old-school adventurer with plenty more stories to tell. This is just one chapter of his journey, and there are certainly more adventures of Buckeye and his crew waiting to be experienced.

From the very beginning, I focused on meticulous planning to allow for maximum iteration and refinement. I started with concept design, storyboards, and animatics to establish the flow and scope early on. Painted lighting keys were invaluable in this process, helping me quickly hone in on the look and feel I was aiming for—it’s always good to have a target to shoot for.

This project also pushed me outside my comfort zone, challenging me to explore new techniques and skills. I spent a lot of time studying realistic camera lighting setups and designing believable camera moves to emphasize the analog, handcrafted aesthetic I wanted to achieve. The goal was to make every shot feel like it could have been captured with a physical camera, reinforcing the nostalgic, cinematic vibe.

To bring this vision to life, I combined KitBash3D’s incredible assets with Quixel Megascans, a variety of custom sculpts I created in Nomad on my iPad, and additional elements crafted in Procreate and Procreate Dreams. Most of the visual effects were hand-animated to reinforce that tactile feel. Unreal Engine served as the foundation for layout, lighting, and rendering, while final compositing, editing, and color grading were done in After Effects.

My goal was to capture the adventurous spirit and sense of scale that made those old films so magical. Seeing it all come together in full 4K was a rewarding experience, and I hope viewers enjoy the journey as much as I enjoyed creating it."


Judge Paullina Weeks wrote: "I loved this. Great story. I love that they are looking for more and giving us a glimpse of the journey, but there is so much mystery. Well done! Short, sweet, to the point, and well executed. Left me wanting more. Love the use of various mediums too." 

3rd Place: Alec Lang, "Safari Adventure Boys"

Instagram

Artist's Statement:

"When this competition was announced. I had about a two month window of time to dedicate to this project. As soon as I saw the models my idea came to me pretty fast. The aesthetic and atmosphere was already clearly defined through the Kit. 

Before committing to the animation, I recorded all the dialogue over the music with some added sfx. This way my pacing was set up before hand, allowing me to focus on the visual comedy during the animation process. During the animation process I rendered viewport renders, this way I could work on the edit while not having my entire scenes constructed yet, as well as having very short render times. 

The biggest challenge I had was working around multiple settings. I wanted to use multiple locations in my animation, but this made it much harder to create a workflow that was consistent, while non destructive enough for me to go back each step in my process and add in a new idea if needed.

The creation of this animation felt more like playing with action figures in my favorite toy set rather than a 3D software. Having that many assets available, I was allowed to be comfortably ambitious with this project.

Judge Vitaly Bulgarov wrote: "A clear winner for me! I was immediately hooked and stayed entertained all the way. A great example how story and pacing is everything, despite some technically 'janky' stuff here and there. Well done!"

Game Submission

1st Place: J. Siscar, "Portal"

First-Person Adventure
Fornite Island Code: 8234-7848-7493

Instagram • YouTube

Artist's Statement:

"From the moment I discovered "Secrets of the Luminara," it reminded me of the classic adventures in which there is a mystery to be discovered. With this approach, the main task is to design the environment in which the story takes place: 3 stones, 4 temples, military barracks and intermediate points so that there are no shortcuts in the story. 

The fun was designing the temples differently and for that I used the classic earth, water and air. Thanks to the multitude of meshes in the Kit I was able to create everything that had gone through my head within the limitations of a video game. 

After creating and testing it I realize that the assets in the Fortnite environment stood out for being too realistic. Seeing this and with very limited time, I looked for vegetation and land to work with among my assets to adapt it to the Fortnite environment. 

Finally, I want to thank KitBash3D for this great opportunity that gave us all the opportunity to develop and show their creativity. Thank you very much." 


Judge Jakub Knapik wrote: "The ambition of this delivery blew me away. The vast scale of the game world is insane. The environmental progression did help create an interesting contrast between a familiar and more mysterious world of old ruins. Really amazing work!"

2nd Place: Davide Marrocco, "Esmerelda Bay"

First-Person Deathrun
Fortnite Island Code: 5828-7215-5139

Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Statement:

"I discovered the KitBash challenge while it was already underway, and I immediately decided to participate since I had recently entered the world of 3D environment design and started using Unreal and UEFN.

Unfortunately, UEFN still has many limitations compared to Unreal, but luckily, the high-quality assets provided by KitBash allowed me to bring my ideas to life. While exploring the assets, I found inspiration for my story. In the Offroader asset pack, I discovered the Luminara map, which featured various locations—one of which was Esmeralda Bay.

I decided to make Esmeralda Bay a mysterious place that no one has ever been able to find because it exists in a dimension outside of time—it is neither in the past, present, nor future. The only way to reach it is when the Luminara open their portals scattered across the universe and throughout time.

At the beginning of the game, I chose to immerse the player in the character through UI elements and cinematics, guiding them into the story. I set the level in first-person to enhance the feeling of embarking on a journey to another dimension, using post-processing effects and camera shakes to intensify the experience. I also added gameplay elements such as finding objects to unlock doors and parkour mechanics to bring variety to the gameplay. All of this is blended with NPC enemies to create a true adventure."


Judge Heather Brown wrote: "Strong intro cut scene that pulls the player into the game; I enjoyed this thoroughly. Well executed, with a complete and thoughtful implementation of the Luminara assets, seamlessly integrating them into the narrative. The pacing, visuals, and transitions work harmoniously to set the tone, immersing the player right from the start." 

3rd Place: Matt Waggle, "Lords of Lumin"

8V8 Team Deathmatch
Fortnite Island Code: 8820-7206-5924

Instagram • ArtStation

Artist's Statement:

"'Lords of Lumin' is a Fortnite map set in a long-lost mountain outpost once inhabited by a forgotten people. These ancients harnessed an unknown element to power airships, allowing them to thrive in the skies. Recently rediscovered, the outpost's resources have become a battleground for those seeking control.

Built using UEFN, Blender, and Maya, the project involved optimizing meshes to meet Fortnite’s unique performance requirements. Through this process, I gained valuable insights into the differences between UEFN and Unreal, discovering many ways to achieve a smooth framerate. Playtesting on the PS5 and gathering feedback from friends across the country played a key role in refining the experience.

I particularly enjoyed blocking in the play space and sharing it through Fortnite. I would then iterate based on feedback, and make final passes with KitBash3D assets. The latest lighting tech in UEFN made the process even more rewarding, and testing directly through Fortnite is a powerful workflow. This was a great experience—thank you! I look forward to the next challenge."


Judge Sparth wrote: "The lighting indeed stands out, giving a cohesive look to the assets. Beautiful."

Game Submission Finalists:

Vance Carver: "Tales of the Luminara"
Thomas Farrar: "Raiders of the Luminara"
Kumaran Jeyasingam: "Secrets of the Luminara Magical Crystals"
Jessica Kiaei: "Luminara Zombie Rush"
Evan Legrand: "Evil Island"
Kotoyo Noguchi: "God of Dungeon"
Zachary Slaughterbeck: "Enter Luminara"

We could not be more grateful to every member of the community for making this an incredible challenge! Head to our Secrets of the Luminara page to see all of the winners and finalists, and learn more about this latest #KB3Dchallenge. 

Ready to kick-start your next project with free assets from our Secrets of the Luminara Kit? Launch Cargo or download the Kit today to get started building!