Screenwest has unveiled production funding for 13 projects via its new Digital Games Production Fund, and has also put development funding towards four documentaries.
Launched in December last year, the Digital Games Production Fund is a multi-staged fund for WA games studios, developers, and key creatives covering pre-production, production and post-production phases of game development.
The projects funded in this round cover a range of genres including virtual reality, adventure, puzzle, sports, horror, role-playing (RPG) and more.
“We were blown away by both the quality and quantity of applications – the new fund proved more popular than we anticipated, making the selection process a lengthy but thoroughly enjoyable undertaking,” said Screenwest digital games manager Mark Smith.
“The diversity of applications received clearly demonstrates the talent and the sheer number of passionate game developers here in WA. Congratulations to the projects we’re supporting this round and the teams behind them.”
In documentary, the projects include include factual stories about motor makeovers, a former pro wrestler, a Shark Bay-based Indigenous entrepreneur and Australia’s toughest rehab.
“We’re pleased to be supporting the development of these four impressive, original Western Australian documentary projects, and look forward to following their progress,” said Paul Williams, Screenwest documentary executive.
Digital Games Production Funding:
Pre-Production
Shrinehouse Keepers
- Genre: Deck-building Rogue-lite
- Studio: Hungry Sky x Milktooth Studios
- Platform: PC Steam
- Key Creatives:
- Design Director: Nick Lowe
- Technical Director: Jack Casey
- Art Director: Elizabeth Marruffo
- Creative Director: Campbell Whyte
- Synopsis: Illuminate all the lanterns in the shrine house network, and enlighten the spirit world. The Head Shrinekeeper is preparing to retire, and has tasked their family with vital errands. Reveal the true nature of the town’s daily routines and connections.
Terrors of Warsaw
- Genre: Horror, Role-Playing (RPG), Shooter
- Platform: PC
- Key Creatives:
- Game Director: Hayden Graham
- Environment Artist: Tomasz Gomoła
- Lead Narrative Designer: Leybl Botwinik
- Brand and Graphic Lead Designer: Elizabeth Shulman-Nadolny
- Synopsis: Terrors of Warsaw is an alternative perspective on both old Ashkenazic traditions and folklore, as well as the Jewish experience overall. A dark gothic fantasy taking place in the Jewish quarter of Warsaw between the wars which has you fight alongside your friends against a demonic evil in a world of bustling markets, introspective philosophy, hate, joy, love and magic.
These Starless Skies
- Genre: Adventure
- Studio: Wayward Astronaut
- Platform: PC
- Key Creatives:
- Lead Developer/Artist/Writer: Camille Woodthorpe
- Narrative Designer/Writer: Amy Doherty
- Astrophysicist: Eriita Jones
- Synopsis: In These Starless Skies, a dysfunctional team of planetary scientists must confront their personal demons and unravel the enigma of a mysterious tidally-locked planet, all before their inner chaos takes over in this interstellar sci-fi point and click adventure. Visually imagined in a distinctive 2.5D pixel art style showcasing the planet’s vastly contrasting climates and unique organisms, the game’s existential narrative is played episodically from the perspective of each crew member.
Innkeeper: Adventurers’ Rest
- Genre: Role Playing (RPG), Simulation, Tycoon/Management
- Studio: Heartfly Studios
- Platform: PC
- Key Creatives:
- Design and Gameplay: Dylan Davies
- Art Direction: Jessica Brookes
- Synopsis: In Innkeeper play as Tippi and Thon, a retired adventuring couple who put down their weapons and picked up a pint and bar rag. Spend your time building relationships with the locals through dialogue, planning your menu, serving customers and decorating your Inn. Bring in riches by using villains to create danger and attract wealthy heroes you send on epic quests. Be careful, creating too much danger might put the locals in harm’s way!
Boxman
- Genre: Platformer, Puzzle
- Platform: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Key Creative:
- CEO/Technical Artist/Lead Programmer: Steven White-Smith
- Synopsis: A small cardboard box character named Box – lost, confused and in search of home will quickly come to learn about a powerful malevolent force known as the “Mundane” that has overthrown this once cheerfully crafted world, turning everything upside-down with an unholy number of robots and one comically undersized evil leader with an affinity for all things grayscale. Luckily Box came with a hero inside!.. and a lot of packing peanuts.
Production
Misc. A Tiny Tale
- Genre: Adventure, Platformer, Puzzle
- Studio: Tinyware Games
- Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch
- Key Creative:
- Lead Developer: Michael Pearce
- Synopsis: Join Buddy and Bag Boy, two adorable robots made of miscellaneous items, on a heartfelt 3D platforming adventure. Explore a familiar world from a new perspective, lend a hand to robots around you, make a difference by cleaning up trash, and unfold the story of an exciting journey.
Barton Lynch Pro Surfing
- Genre: Sports
- Studio: Bungarra Software
- Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC
- Key Creative:
- CEO: Andrew West
- Synopsis: Barton Lynch Pro Surfing is a sports game that pits you against the world’s best surfers at the most exotic locations on the planet. The expansive world tour features an in-depth leaderboard and sports commentary, or if you prefer to free surf, just cruise the massive locations instead.
Finch & Archie
- Genre: Puzzle, Co-Op, Mystery
- Platform: PC
- Key Creatives:
- Project Lead: Dickson Hee
- Level Designer: Rhys Veale-Chan
- Programmer: Aubrey Vigus
- Level Designer: Tom Lorenti
- Writer: Liz Glass
- Audio Designer: Harry May
- Synopsis: A story driven co-op mystery game following a weathered detective and his fresh-furred canine companion as they solve a variety of classic noir cases by using their character-exclusive abilities, overcoming the challenge of cross-species communication and working together to sniff out the answers.
An Engineer and the Great Machine
- Genre: Puzzle
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux
- Key Creatives:
- Project Lead: Mark Thompson
- Lead Artist: Cameron Thompson-Dadd
- Narrative Designer: Amy Doherty
- Composer: Chris Head
- Synopsis: An Engineer and the Great Machine is a bureau-punk engineering puzzle game where the player takes on the role of an engineer starting work on the new company project “The Great Machine”. With no training and no guidance you will have to learn to master the system that powers “The Great Machine” and debug the strange outputs the machine keeps producing.
Monster House Party
- Genre: Casual, Multiplayer, Party Game
- Studio: Frame Mixed Reality Labs
- Platform: Virtual Reality
- Key Creatives:
- Producer: Justin McArdle
- Game Designer: Gareth Lockett
- Synopsis: Monster House Party is a casual, virtual reality party game for up to four online players. Players take on the roles of cute monster characters who have been invited to the Halloween party of the year, hosted at the mysterious Grindstone Manor.
PLONG
- Genre: Action
- Platform: PC
- Key Creative:
- Game Developer: Robert Gross
- Synopsis: PLONG is a Roguelite-Breakout hybrid which sees you play as a runaway virus rampaging through computer systems and destroying as many files as possible before being caught. PLONG blends classic arcade action with a modern upgrade-focused loop, each run facing players with a combination of modifiers and abilities.
Omi Oh My AI
- Genre: Puzzle, Alternate Reality Game (ARG)
- Platform: PC
- Key Creatives:
- Designer/Artist: Jess Watson
- Producer/Programmer: Matt Dyet
- Writer/Narrative Designer: Pidj Flavell
- Audio/Music: Chris Head
- Synopsis: Omi Oh My AI is a transmedia puzzle game about an artificial intelligence on the brink of sentience. Players solve puzzles and interact with the friendly AI Omi as they try to unravel the mystery of their past, to understand how they got this way in the present, and help Omi to decide what to do with their future.
Post-Production
Nekograms
- Genre: Puzzle
- Studio: Hungry Sky
- Platform: iOS App Store, Google Play Store, Nintendo Switch
- Key Creatives:
- Design Director: Nick Lowe
- Technical Director: Jack Casey
- Art Director: Lauren Fletcher
- Audio Director: Ben Hammersley
- Synopsis: Nekograms is an adorable puzzle game about helping cats get to sleep. It features original gameplay, art style and music. It comes packed with 120 fun and challenging levels and over 15 different cat breed with plenty of accessories.
Documentary projects:
Documentary Development Investment Funding Recipients
Lemons
- Format: 8 x 1 hour TV series
- Production Company: Polony Pty Ltd
- Key Creative:
- Executive Producer/Director/Writer: Nathan Gibbs
Logline: In Lemons, two hosts undertake the near impossible task of transforming some of history’s most maligned motors into cool, coveted cars.
Inside Shalom
- Format: 6 x 1 hour docu-series
- Production Company: VAM Media & Chaos Theory Films
- Key Creatives:
- Producer: Brendan Hutchens
- Co-Producer: Shea Walsh
Logline: Go cold turkey at Australia’s toughest rehab, where one man is fighting for the lives of people who have hit rock bottom, the only way he knows how.
School of Hard Knocks
- Format: 1 hour TV single
- Production Company: Masters of Attention
- Key Creative:
- Producer/Director: Cristian Broadhurst
Logline: When life knocks you down, learn to fight back.
Saltwater Cowboys of Shark Bay
- Format: 6 x 1 hour TV series
- Production Company: Catch & Release
- Key Creative:
- Executive Producer: Nathan Gibbs
Logline: The story of an Indigenous startup, an industry old as time, and a mystical misunderstood sea creature that just might save the world.