Screen Australia announces support for 14 interactive projects

Screen Australia, the funding board that supports film, television and multimedia projects, announced last week that it will support 14 interactive projects , five of which are video games.

Screen Australia, the funding board that supports film, television and multimedia projects, announced last week that it will support 14 interactive projects, five of which are video games.

The board, which sought to fund projects that push the envelope of storytelling, selected projects ranging from storybook apps to video documentaries and games. The games supported by Screen Australia varied from board game-like strategy role-playing games to exploration games.

Many of the studios behind the selected projects are staffed by developers who worked at Australian studios that have since closed, such as Blue Tongue Entertainment, Pandemic Studios, Torus Games, and Krome Studios.

According to Screen Australia, 89 applications were submitted. The games selected are:

ELEANOR'S QUEST
By Robot Circus
App for touch screen devices
Producer/Writer Nick Hagger
Director Kevin Chan
Synopsis A ‘living book'; different every time the reader opens it, dependent on a variety of real-world factors including time and date, weather, and proximity to key events. Eleanor is an eight-year-old girl living in a picturesque coastal town called Seeker's Bay. Every day her mum gives her a chore to do that puts her into contact with the town's cast of residents. Every read expands on the stories that bind the community, ultimately strung together by a historical mystery as to how the bay got its name.

ARMELLO

By League of Geeks

Game for touch screen devices

Writer/Producer/Director Trent Kusters

Marketplace Surprise Attack

Synopsis A digital card and board game for iPad, featuring a rich and visual game narrative pitched as Game of Thrones meets Kung Fu Panda in which players compete to become ruler of the Kingdom of Armello, playing as anthropomorphised animals from different ‘clans'. It will be distributed for free via digital distribution with revenue arising from in-app purchases.

FENG SHUI MASTER

Many Monkeys Development
Touchable electronic computer game
Producer/Director Matt Ditton

Art Director Kevin McGrath

Synopsis In the flow of life, only a true master can control the balance of energy. In Feng Shui Master you keep the forces of life in balance. As the groundskeeper you maintain the harmony of your village as you learn to master the mischievous elements around you. Feng Shui Master is a deceptively sophisticated game that marries thoughtful narrative with unique gameplay.

THE EVENTIDE

Loud and Clear Creative
Game for touch screen devices
Producer Joel Beath

Creative Director Keith Walsh

Creative Technologist Ben Beath

Synopsis A world exists just beneath the surface of our own where two factions of elemental energy beings are fighting an unseen war. As the Earth's original inhabitants, the Eventide have grown weary of the human race destroying the planet. The bad guys, known as the Habitites, want to wipe out humans, but the good Eventide stand in their way. Children can now connect with their own personal Eventide, learn their ways, and over the course of an involved narrative, can connect with their society through gameplay, and help them in the ongoing war.

THE PAPER FOX
Torsion Fork Studio
Interactive animation for touch screen devices
Producer Joe Tabor

Writer/Director Jeremy Kool

Co-writer Amanda Kool
Marketplace Bento Box Interactive

Synopsis An interactive adventure book for iPad and Android tablets. Not simply an interactive story, The Paper Fox is a ‘My First Adventure Game' for young players. A charming story with integrated games that will suit a young audience; the humour and unique art style will engage children and adults alike.