Microsoft Startup Adventurer

Creative Solutions & Experiences

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.

The amount of possible combinations was staggering and allowed users to really get creative with their ideas. We saw avatars as varied and surprising as the people themselves!

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!