Ahead of Melbourne’s International Games Week in October, a slate of upcoming locally made digital games have been revealed.
Today, six highly anticipated games were on show at local creative studio, Paper House in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. The developers and creatives behind Cult of the Lamb, Future Folklore, Kinder World, Way to the Woods, Wayward Strand and Wood & Weather were on hand to present exclusively guided previews of their games.
The Victorian government – through VicScreen – has officially opened applications Victoria’s Games Development Internship program for its second year. The paid internship program backs emerging practitioners by fast-tracking the careers of digital games creators from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in the screen industry.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
The internship includes placements at world-leading studio Sledgehammer Games – known for their work on the Call of Duty series, renowned Victorian indie developer, Robot Circus, and the state’s creative and economic screen development agency VicScreen. All six games that were on show today were backed by VicScreen through their production fund.
This event comes off a record year for the Victorian digital games industry, with VicScreen supported games injecting $9.7 million into the state economy – a whopping 46 per cent increase on the previous year. Victoria is now home to 57% of Australia’s games workforce and over 170 digital games studios.
Local digital games being released this year
Cult of the Lamb by Massive Monster
Set to release on 12 August, the indie games world is abuzz with anticipation. Backed by leading international games publisher, Devolver, Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger and must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name.
Future Folklore by Guck
Future Folklore has been marked as one to watch, it’s Australia’s first ever Aboriginal-led mobile game set in a fantasy world inspired by the Australian bush.
Kinder World by Lumi Interactive
Female-led Melbourne Studio Lumi Interactive’s upcoming game, Kinder World is garnering attention around the globe having just received $9.76 million investment from a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Kinder World is a game of houseplants, healing and practicing kindness. Lumi Interactive are calling their genre ‘crowdhealing’ and is set to help people relax and unwind with their unique cosy style.
Way to the Woods by onepixel.dog
In 2019 E3 were captivated by the visuals for the spectacular Way to the Woods and soundtrack from Aivi & Surasshu, composers from animated American television series, Steven Universe. The game follows a deer and a fawn who must embark on a journey through an abandoned world of the unknown to get home. For the first time today, an exclusive demo was on show.
Wayward Strand by Ghost Pattern
Wayward Strand will be the debut game for Melbourne-based creative, Ghost Pattern. Wayward Strand is a heartfelt story, told in a curious way aboard an airborne hospital. The cast are fully-voiced by beloved Australian actors, including The Castle’s Michael Caton and is matched with stunning visuals. The striking game is set to launch on September 15 2022.
Wood & Weather by Paper House Studio
A silly god-game created as a playful lens for looking at the effects of climate change on a toy wooden reimagining of Melbourne. Paper House are paving the way for the industry by tracking their environmental toll and making an effort to reduce their impact.
Worth over $200 billion globally, the digital games industry is one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment sectors. Locally made games like Dumb Ways to Die and more recently, Untitled Goose Game, have been played by tens of millions of people around the world.
Later this month, Victoria’s games industry will be showcased at the world’s biggest games industry event, GamesCom in Germany – with Australia the focus country led by Victoria’s 35-strong delegation.
Applications for the Games Development Internship are open from 10 August to 8 September 2022. For more information about this and other VicScreen programs for the games industry, visit vicscreen.vic.gov.au.
