A Brisbane couple has turned the dreaded experience of moving house into two BAFTA awards.
Wren Brier and Tim Dawson are part of a small team that created Unpacking, a part block-fitting puzzle and part home-decoration game, in which players are invited to create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life they are unpacking.
The couple say the game is based on their own experience of moving in together.
The game took out two of the top gongs at the BAFTA Game Awards last Thursday: Best Narrative and Game of the Year.
It defeated heavyweight titles such as Returnal and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and studio juggernauts like Sony and Electronic Arts.
Brier attributed the popularity of Unpacking to its therapeutic nature.
"I think it found a niche that wasn't being served by a lot of games," Brier said.
"We also had a lot of luck with the timing of the game.
"Right now people are looking for wholesome games and games that are more about relaxing and finding a place of peace in the chaos of our world today.
"Unpacking does that and I think this is a niche that's becoming more and more popular these days."
An opportunity for storytelling in the mundane
Brier and Dawson were moving in together about four years ago when the idea for the game was born.
"I noticed you unpack one box and unlock the box underneath. You're completing sets of items between boxes. You're putting items together on the shelf," Brier said.
"There is also this ability for storytelling because you can tell a lot about a person from the items that they own.
"In general, a lot of what you do is you create order out of chaos. And in this game, we do that in a very literal way."
The game took the couple three and a half years to develop, all from their Toowong apartment.
Dawson said travelling to the BAFTAs and a game developer conference in San Francisco made the pair realise how widely the game had resonated with players.
Brisbane gaming industry punching above its weight
Unpacking was developed by Brisbane-based game studio Witch Beam, which Dawson co-founded.
The team received about $60,000 in funding from Screen Queensland through the Queensland government to go towards development costs and some travel costs.
Screen Queensland chief executive Kylie Munnich said the Brisbane gaming industry was "not just surviving, but thriving".
"Games are the biggest segment of the entertainment and media space in the world," she said.
"They actually far outstrip film and television, and so it's a space as a screen agency we should be in.
"We know there are a lot of very creative, clever people in Queensland who deserve to be able to have their careers here, create their games here, and then have those games be successful not only in Australia but in the world."
Screen Queensland on Thursday launched its Game Grants Program to provide up to $90,000 in funding to Queensland-based game projects at various stages.
It follows the recent launch of Screen Queensland's Digital Games Incentive, which offers eligible game developers who spend a minimum of $250,000 in the state a 15 per cent rebate on costs.
