Paperbark (video game)

Paperbark is an Australian point-and-click exploration video game by Paper House, released June 2018.[1][2]

Development

The game was originally created as the final year project of RMIT game design students Ryan Boulton (programmer), Nina Bennett (artist) and Terry Burdak, who founded the indie development studio Paper House.[3][4] They wanted the game to look like a storybook, and used Boulton's work as he had already been developing watercolour-inspired rendering techniques.[3] Burdak suggested the inspiration of children's books.[3] The trio grew up in regional Victoria, and aimed to make a game that looked like the places they knew.[4] The watercolour art style is reminiscent of nature-centric Australian children's books like Blinky Bill, Diary of a Wombat and Possum Magic.[4] Reflecting on their time at RMIT, Burdak explained: "“It has a supportive community, which allowed us to experiment and create a game that explores our personal ideas about Australia and story-telling in a digital format."[5]

After graduating from university, they showed an early prototype to different gaming conferences, and discovered the government organisation Film Victoria, which offers funding to game development, among other creative projects.[3] After securing a Film Victoria grant in 2015, the team could quit their day jobs, form a company, and devote their time to finishing the game.[3] They brought on various freelancers, including an ecologist who checked if the various plants and animals were native to the bush. The team also hired a children's book author (whose identity is currently kept secret) in order to elevate the narrative elements of the game.[3]

Plot and gameplay

The plot centres around a sleepy wombat exploring Australian bushland, encountering various flora and fauna along the way.

Players tap the screen to move the character, and as they do more pieces of the path are made visible. According to Gamasutra, "information unfolds on screen in curt but elegantly simple sentences".[6]

Critical reception

Mashable felt the game offers a "more detailed representation of the Australian bush than we've seen in other games", comparing it to Forza Horizon 3 which showcased the deserts, rainforests and coastlines that are more commonly portrayed.[4] Finder deemed its art style as both "striking" and "impressive".[7] The ABC noted that while Australian developers have often struggled to create games that are "quintessentially Australian", Paperbark offers an exception to the rule.[8] Pixel Pop Network likened the game's storytelling through visuals to children's books like Animalia, Bamboozled, and Where's Wally.[9] Kokatu singled out the game when discussing a video game project that is unconcerned with money, instead having a sole goal to present honest representation of an Australian landscape.[10] Speaking of the game's educational potential, Gamasutra suggested its application as a teaching aid in a kindergarten or early primary school biology class.[6]

Awards and nominations

The game was a student entrant in the 2016 Independent Games Festival.[11] It was also nominated for "Australian Developed Game of the Year" at the Australian Games Awards 2018.[12]

References
  1. Carey, Patrick. "Award-winning game Paperbark lets players wander as a wombat through the Australian bush". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  2. "Paperbark". Steam. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  3. "Paperbark creates a love letter to the Australian bushland". VentureBeat. 2017-10-04. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  4. Lieu, Johnny. "The iOS game that lets you explore Australia as a wombat". Mashable. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  5. "Stunning student game designs funded by Film Victoria - RMIT University". www.rmit.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  6. Cross, Katherine. "PAX East Report: Two unmistakably Australian games". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  7. Sayer, Matt (2017-10-25). "Aussie bushland adventure game Paperbark looks gorgeous in its first trailer | finder.com.au". finder.com.au. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  8. "Video Games struggle to capture Australia". 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  9. "Paperbark: Bringing Australian Summer to Life - Pixel Pop Network". Pixel Pop Network. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  10. "What Do Video Games Look Like Without Money?". Kotaku Australia. 2015-10-23. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  11. "Paperbark". IGF. 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  12. "Your 2018 Winners". Australian Games Awards. 2018-12-19. Archived from the original on 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
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