Dunedin video game creators bring Pavs home

Members of two Dunedin-based video game companies were recognised at a national level on Saturday. They are (back row, from left): Max Howard-Martens, Mickey Treadwell, Connor Bridson and Lisa Blakie, of Atawhai Interactive, and Sam Barham and Anna Barham of Balancing Monkey Games; (front row, from left): Laura Anderson, Bre Filer and Sarah Latta, of Balancing Monkey Games. Photos: supplied

The Pavs Game Awards were held in Wellington on Saturday as part of the New Zealand Games Festival.

Balancing Monkey Games’ game Beyond These Stars won The Perfect Recipe award for excellence in design and The Accessible Ambrosia award for excellence in accessibility.

In the city-building game, players could help characters settle and thrive on the back of a massive space whale.

"We are absolutely stoked," managing director Anna Barham said.

"Our team has worked so, so hard."

Accessibility had been a big focus for the company partly because of Mrs Barham’s personal experience.

She had worked in the disability sector and wrote a masters thesis about people living with disabilities.

"A number of [members of] our team have disabilities and they’re in different ways, and so it’s very personal for us," Mrs Barham said.

Making a game accessible included things like having different sizes of text for people with poor vision or options for reducing motion.

A screen grab from Beyond These Stars.

She highlighted the work of game designer Mereana Johnston, who was unable to attend to accept the game design award, and quality assurance analyst Neyssa Morse "who reminded us to keep accessibility at the front of our minds".

Another Dunedin company, Atawhai Interactive, was recognised for its game Toroa: Skycall, which won The Diverse Delight award for excellence in representation.

The game took players on a relaxing adventure as they soar, swoop and glide as a northern royal albatross.

"We poured everything into this game and to have that recognised and celebrated by our peers is so humbling," writer and co-director Lisa Blakie (Kāi Tahu) said.

Being recognised for a game "grounded in te ao Māori" was an "incredible honour", she said.

"It’s super important to have a wide range of voices in any industry; the more stories that get told, the more we understand, empathise and care for each other."

The two companies had neighbouring studios in a building in South Dunedin.

"We are all passionate about the work we do, supporting the local community and inspiring others through our work," Mrs Barham said.

felicity.dear@odt.co.nz