As the feeling comes back to my feet after a crazy 9 days, I can't help but think it's been a fitting end to a crazy 9 months. We have only been "professionally" (Still doesn't really feel right saying that, haha) making games since February. With the help of the New Zealand Center of Digital Excellence (CODE), we started making a prototype of a game idea called Colour Crawler. At the end of May, we finished that prototype, gave it to a bunch of people to play, and realized we missed the mark on a bunch of things. We then spent the next three months adding new mechanics, fixing bugs, adding art, and eventually deciding on the final name, Chroma Academy.
Chroma Academy is a Match 3, turn-based dungeon crawler with rogue-lite features, think Puzzle Quest meet Hades. You play as a student trying to pass their final exam by escaping the treacherous environments surrounding the school. Graduating takes you to greater things, while failing means you return to try again. As you progress through the dungeons, you receive rewards in the form of items that allow for endless character build combinations, helping you confront various enemies, traps, puzzles, and bosses.
Now, shifting back to the numb feet, dead legs, and sore back – a month or two after completing our vertical slice, we received an amazing offer from CODE with an offer of more funding for a trip to Melbourne, Australia, to showcase Chroma Academy at PAXAus 2023. I, of course, said yes, and after expressing my gratitude to Vee enough times to make it awkward, I hung up and thought to myself., "How on earth will we be prepared to present at PAX?" I then conducted a thorough research and thought to myself, "How in the world will I be able to afford attending PAX?" Once the initial panic of over commitment subsided, we got to work and created a demo build to showcase to the public for the first time.
By some miracle and a few last-minute Hail Mary's, myself and our artist, Nathaniel, boarded a plane and headed to Melbourne. It was both amazing and terrifying. We went from 9 am on Friday, thinking there was a very big chance that no one would stop at our booth or play our game, to 6 pm on Friday, wondering how we would manage to do this for two more days. By midday on Saturday, we realized that watching someone play our game for the first time and seeing the smiles on their faces was one of the best feelings ever. Then, on Sunday, people returned to play again! Kids even dragged their parents back to our booth so they could try the demo again. It's truly incredible to see people enjoy something you've put so much effort into. It makes the long days and lack of sleep all worth it.
We couldn't be more thankful to the New Zealand Center of Digital Excellence. Over the last nine months, their support has been invaluable. Not only financially, but also for all the advice and mentorship they provided. The pitching workshops with Jon Cartwright visibly impacted how we present and talk about our games to others, and the feedback from pitching to other professionals has been very positive. The environment they've created in Dunedin is ideal for nurturing productive and successful game studios. A huge thanks also goes to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise for their assistance in making it possible for 20 New Zealand game studios to make a significant impression at PAX Australia. The quality of games and the quality of people we were surrounded by couldn't have been better.
So, what's next? After a (well-deserved, i think) break, fueled by the positive response we received in Melbourne, we're excited to move into the next phase. With all the feedback, new bugs, and ideas for new content, we hope to work hard over the next 10 months and release Chroma Academy just in time for PAX Aus 2024. If all goes according to plan, we'll see you there.
Thank you to everyone who came and played the Chroma Academy demo at PAX. You have no idea how much it meant to see people playing the game out in the wild. Also, a big thank you to CODE, NZTE, and the 19 other New Zealand game studios that showcased their work in the New Zealand PAX booth. I've never been in a situation quite like that, which felt so positive and chill.
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