Making a game is hard, but making a game in Australia – that’s a whole other ball game. Most local developers gravitate towards smaller mobile titles or simple Steam titles; projects where development time is shorter and requires significant less investment. On the other end of the spectrum sits Convict Games – an Aussie-lead company with a global team. The talent pool ranges from filmmakers to musicians to artists based anywhere from Sydney to Helsinki. It’s not an entirely conventional setup, but then neither is the team’s first project – STONE.
Telling a tale of a baked, hungover koala detective trying to put the pieces from a wild night he no longer remembers together, while simultaneously tracking down his lorikeet lover, STONE initially reads like a bit of a whirlwind cheese dream. Speaking with Greg Louden, writer-director and Chief Convict at Convict Games, however, paints the project in a whole new light.
“I’m a huge fan of Tarantino, Bukowksi, Kanye, Chandler, Godard, techno, PTA, Hunter S Thompson, Hemingway and Pynchon,” declares Louden. “I also love The Big Lebowski, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and Inherent Vice. So with this cocktail I had to make a stoner noir. The whole koala, anthropomorphic concept came from the fact it’s a great metaphor, and in games we need to build everything. So why recreate the real world when we can create something new and something only games or CGI can do?”
All these elements appear to link back to one of Convict Game’s big mantras – to tell high impact and alternate stories. When the studio was founded in July last year by Louden and his co-director/sister, Sarah Louden, the duo set out with a goal to do something fresh that didn’t simply follow the popular trends. A binge-drinking, foul-mouthed koala felt like the perfect choice.
Watch the trailer for STONE by Convict Games below
But while inspiration is great, a quick viewing of STONE’s early footage begs a few questions. Chief among these is what gameplay systems are being utilised to keep gamers invested in tracking down your “chookie” Alex amidst a fictionalised version of Newtown. The footage hints at replicating some of the magic of classic adventure games, but then interestingly swaps out the genre’s usual point-and-click mechanics and puzzles with music, side games and interrogating fellow animals.
Choosing whether to adopt a “Hard Ass” or “Soft Touch” approach will lead to varying results during your encounters with the citizens of Oldtown. The way Louden describes it, if you are particularly surly to a Smoky Possum bartender, for example, you should expect an equally surly response. Each of these encounters ultimately will help shape your journey – though it is worth noting that Convict Games is only planning one finite ending no matter how you chose to approach each encounter.
That’s largely because while dancing, smoking and drinking appear to be a recurring trifecta, according to Louden, it’s all about story, story story. “STONE is an interactive story, so it’s super, super story driven. While playing there’s constantly reference-filled and witty dialogue, like a great hip hop track. So mechanically in the game you walk, talk, interact, dance, smoke and drink. However, the dialogue will keep you hooked: you can choose what you say on occasions and the licensed music will blow you away.”
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Music actually plays quite a large role in STONE, with the team placing a great deal of focus on its hip-hop-centric line-up. According to Louden, it was a critical inclusion. “To bring noir to 2018, it had to be hip hop,” he explained. “Hip hop to me also is about wordplay and STONE is filled with references and throwbacks. It’s also a genre with a set use in games. However, I wanted to present it in a different way and bring my passion for the genre to storytelling in interactive stories.
“STONE also has lots of other genres ranging from techno, to stoner rock and even experimental pop. So hip hop to me is a philosophy, wit and attitude.” As a result, expect to hear tracks ranging from Finnish experimental pop artist Real Love and Aussie rockers, Grand Oyster Palace, Joseph Banks and Golden Grove as you work your way through this attitude-packed adventure.
The local development scene might not be as lucrative as it once was, but that’s exactly why studios like Convict Games deserve our support. STONE might not be a game you’d been secretly wishing for, or could have even imagined, but its ambition and individuality are incredibly admirable. One thing’s for sure – we’ll never look at koalas the same way.
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