With all the focus on getting kids into coding at school, Siobhan Willoughby of Mortdale was well ahead of the game so to speak, before it became 'cool'.
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The 34-year-old web developer turned 'game creator' is self-taught - having learnt coding on her own at about age 13. During high school she would practice, and once she studied computer science at university, she could code with confidence.
For her talents, she has won $30,000 from Screen Australia, to further develop her skills in the gaming space. Screen Australia gifted the money as part of the Emerging Gamemakers Fund, which provides grants to support the development of original, new projects from Australian independent gamemakers.
It funds the creation of a prototype or the completion of a micro-scale game from emerging and/or established creators who are interested in creative and artistic experimentation.
The initiative was introduced to provide Australian independent gamemakers with direct funding for original games with budgets below $500,000, support new projects from emerging gamemakers and offer additional opportunities for professional development.
These new programs are supported by the Federal Government's National Cultural Policy Revive, which includes a commitment of $12 million across four years of dedicated games funding through Screen Australia.
Ms Willoughby's narrative project - a 30-minute game, was inspired by her experiences during COVID-19 lockdown, and showcases her surrounding area - Georges River.
It's called 'Tea, Please!', and is a point and click, story-driven game that explores the contrast between the drudgery and noise of office life and the surprising happiness and peace gained through remote work during lockdown. This is expressed through handcrafted interactive life vignettes punctuated with the simple action of making tea.
"The game randomises whose turn it is to make tea," Ms Willoughby said. "The project also helped me discover the area. I'm a homebody, but suddenly being forced to stay home, I discovered there was more to life than work."
The digital developer was well into the gaming space at a young age. "I've been playing games since I got the original brick Game Boy for my 7th birthday and a Nintendo 64 for my 9th birthday," she said. "I taught myself coding, and I also work for an education start-up.
"But there is a big barrier in the gaming industry so these funds mean I won't have to freelance for anyone else. It will enable me to work on my projects."
Screen Australia Chief Executive Deirdre Brennan said Australia was home to some of the world's most talented, independent gamemakers.
"We're thrilled to support this dynamic community," she said. "We're seeing unprecedented demand for these programs, and as Screen Australia's focus on games expands, it will allow our domestic industry to demand attention at an international level. This innovative funding support, as part of the National Cultural Policy, enables bold local-storytelling that will engage gamers around the world."
Minister for the Arts Tony Burke said Australia had a proud history of game development. "What this does is support the future of Australian game development, making sure we don't miss out..." he said. "Many of these games might not be set in Australia - or even on this planet - but they do show the best of Australian creativity and storytelling."
Since 2022, Screen Australia's games funding has provided more than $10 million in support of the local games industry. The agency has supported games across a variety of platforms including PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch and iOS/Android, with games aimed at release on App stores, Steam, itch.io, Nintendo eShop.
