Birthplace - Game
2021
An exciting mobile game in which you'll restore the rainforest and bring back biodiversity. Meanwhile, the game gives back by supporting real world reforesting projects!
Now live in the Netherlands & the Philippines.
Global launch expected early 2021.
Mobile Game | Reforestation Campaign | Original Story | Produced: Jan 20, 2020 - Present | Platforms: IOS, Android | Colour | Surround Sound | Premiere: August 11, 2020, Netherlands, Philippines IOS & Android App Stores | Global Premiere: Expected October 2020
Online: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube
Featured In International Media: Unity For Humanity Summit 2020 | What Design Can Do
Featured In Dutch Media: Het Parool | De Gelderlander | Algemeen Dagblad | De Stentor | Trouw | Business Insider | Evil Gamerz | Kids Newsweek | New Scientist | Android World NL | Mashable Benelux | De Betere Wereld | Go Or No Go | Coole Suggesties | Duurzaam Thuis | Innovate
Written & Directed by: Sil van der Woerd | Produced by: Birthplace B.V.: Sil van der Woerd, Eduard Zanen, Little Chicken Game Company, Lonneke Gordijn, Ralph Nauta | Developed by: Studio Birthplace, Little Chicken Game Company
Product Owner: Bas Roding | Developers: Bas Roding, Joris van Leeuwen, Erik Kors, Michiel Frankfort, Ruben Hooijer | Art Director: Rutger Stegenga | 2D Artists: Isabella Koelman, Brenda van Vugt, Yannis Bolman, Rafaël Lie Kwie | 3D Artist: Rutger Stegenga, Tobias van der Meer, Mia Boas, Seif Toktogoelov, Douwe Heijmerink | Animation: Joris van Laar, Tim Smit | Playtest & QA: Rick Heeren | Sound Design: Nick van Kleef, Ruben Bergshoef | Researchers: Bayu Topan, Ferry Hawari
Trailer Storyboard & Animatic: Aimée de Jongh | Trailer VFX Sup: Tim Smit | Trailer VFX Artists: Tim smit, Sohaib Bouaiss | Character Model: Metin Seven | Trailer Colorist: Keidrych Wasley
Thanks To: Jorik Dozy, Sean Lin, Ernest Zacharevic, Charlotte Pyatt, Family & Friends
About The Project
The jungle is under attack! Replant the rainforest and bring back the animals in this fun strategy game that plants real trees!
Orang and his friends need your help to replant the jungle. The more trees that you plant, the more animals will return. Collect them all! Discover a restaurant and a temple. Build a raft, a watchtower and a rescue center. Chase away poachers and illegal loggers. Meet Stripes the tiger, Splash the elephant and the Forest People!
The best part? Birthplace donates a part of the revenue to plant real trees! So while you're having fun we'll take care of the important work!
In this game the player learns of real world issues like deforestation and loss of wildlife, through fun and exciting gameplay. Meanwhile the game gives back by supporting real world projects with revenue that is made in the game.
The game opens with a sequence of a Orangutang and a Rhinoceros Hornbill that are brutally removed from their jungle homes. The characters find themselves on a commercial palm oil plantation; a dire ecosystem void of life.
The characters meet a child and together they decide to remove the palm oil trees and plant rainforest trees to bring back the jungle.
As the rainforest expands, more and more animals return to the forest. Some with a unique power. Such as Stripes, a tiger who can chase away illegal loggers. Or Splash, an elephant who can soak up water and kill wildfires.
Around the planted trees, an ecosystem of wildlife and vegetation comes to life that produces beautiful visuals and relaxing jungle sounds.
Real World Link
Birthplace supports real world reforestation projects with a portion of the revenue that is made in the game.
Images provided by Orangutan Information Center, Eden Projects & Tree-Nation
Teaser Trailer
Production
I developed the game together with Litlle Chicken Game Company in the Netherlands. I had been working on the concept for about a year, and in January 2020, we started up production.
Little Chicken is an amazing team of talented young artists and developers. We had been on a roll since January, and then, two months into production, Covid-19 hit the Europe and the Netherlands.
Luckily, at that time, the team was well-oiled and the digital nature of the project allowed us to continue the work, albeit from home.
