I’d say I’m fairly new to figure collecting, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ever so slightly embarrassed about the sheer number I’ve got sitting next to my desk as I write this. That won’t stop me from spending hours sifting through the shelves of shops like Surugaya or Book Off to find the perfect Hatsune Miku to add to my ever growing collection. To some I’m sure my display cabinet is still showing rookie numbers, but there’s no denying that there’s a satisfaction to getting a new figure for something you really love.
However, if there’s one thing my collection is missing, it’s any figurines from video games I like.
Welcome to Character Select, a weekly column where PC Gamer takes a look at the art and cosplay created by you. Each week, I’ll highlight a few of my favourite pieces, spotlight and interview creators and artists, or generally just chew your ear off about the talents of the gaming community.
The difference between finding a Miku figurine and a video game figure is that the former is just so much easier to track down. I couldn’t tell you the last time I’d seen a video game figure that wasn’t an incredibly expensive statue, or a pre-order bonus. Aside from the odd Amiibo and a Tekken 7 statue I absolutely adore, my video game figure collection is sparse.
But when something is hard to find, I’ve quickly learned that people will simply make it themselves. People making their own figures to whatever scale, whether that’s entirely from scratch or using a pre-existing figure as a base first, has always been an option, and I’m sure thousands have made use of this skill to bring their favourite video game characters to life. It’s not something I’d thought of doing but, after seeing some examples, I’m starting to think differently.
For example, Tiktok user yumenikkis wanted to bring Mari from Omori to their collection, so took a figure of Mizuhara Chizuru from Rent a Girlfriend and basically took the entire thing apart to customise it. This included removing and painting the hair, editing the facial features, and completely changing the look and colour palette of the outfit to reflect the character. Trust me, the end result is just as impressive as it sounds too. Customising a figure is an impressive feat in itself, let alone when you think about how little detail characters in Omori have.
Even the base of the figure has been taken into account when designing. Rather than sticking with the bulky white circle the figure usually comes with, they’ve painted it like a picnic basket and included a little basket and some candy which I can only assume was made out of clay. The base of a figure is usually what sells me on it, since I don’t love when it’s just a plain black or white circle of plastic, so I can safely say if I saw this figure in a shop I’d be sold.
This isn’t the only stellar example either. Fallen Petal Studios, another Tiktok creator I discovered while falling down the custom figure rabbit hole, takes this one step further by creating clay figures entirely from scratch, displaying them on little wooden blocks. Each Tiktok shows a different character being made from scratch, such as Cagney Carnation from Cuphead, or the Lamb from Cult of the Lamb. The piece that really grabbed my attention however was Leah from Stardew Valley, complete with a little clay chisel and hammer. I’m slowly realising that it’s the little details that really captivate me in projects like this.
Fallen Petal Studios don’t just limit themselves to video game characters either. They’ve made figures from shows like Adventure Time, Over the Garden Wall, and Hazbin Hotel, as well as having adorable figures for characters from the odd Studio Ghibli film too. Just in case you want something a little different to add to your own display cabinet. They’re almost Amiibo-esque thanks to their smaller design and simpler features, which is something I adore.
Next time I have the fleeting thought about not owning any video game figures, I’ll take a look at my collection and see if there’s any I’m willing to customise. I can’t guarantee any of my Mikus will be sacrificed, but maybe the bottom shelf figures that I’ve tucked down where I can’t really see them. If I spent some time customising them, they might make it up to somewhere visible at the very least.
