“Create your own Startup Adventurer.”
Microsoft approached us with an idea to increase interest in their global startup support program. We took the opportunity to develop a truly unique solution for startups.
So, what was the idea? To produce a game which allowed users to create an avatar to represent their company. Easy, right?
The game showcased at Slush 2019; providing an approachable tool that offered an engaging and interactive experience.
Whilst executed in a playful medium, the underlying goal of the experience was to provide users with insights in to the startup scene, in an entertaining way.
Inspired by classic, 16-bit game graphics, we let our imagination run free; illustrating a range of attributes and objects that represented various kinds of industries.
Though the game had a pixelated look, we wanted to offer maximum freedom to a diverse crowd of players; so that each could express their own, unique personality.
We created a solution with our unibody characters – by crafting a gender-neutral base character that the user could then customise using the range of qualities and accessories provided.
To ensure all assets were seamlessly interchangeable, we designed everything on a grid system – which needed to be pixel perfect!
All assets were then used in the game configurator; coded by our technical partner – Wakeone – resulting in hundreds of alternate combinations that could be created from a single starting point.
“What are your strengths?”
Once the user created the avatar, they were asked to select skills from a set of qualities that would be attributed to their character, giving it a unique personality.
When they completed the process, users were able to download their unique avatar; which they could then use however they liked – they could share it on social media; use it as a profile picture; or just keep it as a souvenir from Slush.
“The adventure continues”
The Startup Adventurer game was the jewel in the crown of Microsoft for Startups’ Slush 2019 experience. Attendees interacted with the game in a fully engaged way and learned more about the Microsoft for Startups program.
Judging from the hype and buzz around the Microsoft booth at Slush 2019 – with hundreds of characters created using the retro-looking game – it is safe to say that Startup Adventurer was a big hit!
