Josh Hallaran of East Gosford has wanted to work in game development since he was a child, and now the 29-year-old is set to see his latest indie game exhibited at the Sydney SXSW Indie Showcase, which will feature the best of the Asia-Pacific’s work in music, film, tech and gaming.
Narrative-driven indie game 8-Bit Adventures 2 has been selected to be exhibited, with its concept, development and international team led by Hallaran from his home on the Central Coast.
“I have a passion for video games – retro and modern,” Hallaran said.
“I see games as a unique form of artistic and creative expression and believe that the medium is at its best when used to tell stories.
“I love developing stories with positive, relatable characters and crafting experiences that mix fun and thoughtful gameplay with exciting set-pieces and emotional moments.
“Over the past 12 years, I’ve honed my craft by self-funding and developing my own games.
“Most notably, I’m the lead developer and IP owner of the 8-Bit Adventures series.
“My latest game, 8-Bit Adventures 2, took seven years to develop, and launched on PC in January 2023.
“It’s become one of the highest rated RPGs in 2023 (with an 87 score on Metacritic, and a 91 score on OpenCritic).
“Players and critics have both praised the game’s writing, narrative, pacing, combat, and overall polish.
“8-Bit Adventures 2 is my ninth commercial release – which includes five mobile titles and four PC games.
“On this latest game, I worked with three other freelance developers – which taught me a lot about managing a team on a long-term project.
“Video games are a collaborative art and it’s been my role as a game designer and game director to bring each discipline (art, music, and programming) together to create a cohesive product.
“As a game designer, I hope to provide others with the same sense of joy, inspiration and wonder that video games have given me.
“And as a writer, I hope to uplift players with positive stories, lovable characters and powerful universal themes.”
Working with Hallaran on the game were artist Jerram Fahey from NSW, composer Sebastian Cruz from Chile and programmer Sufyan Noor from Indonesia.
Inspired by classic Japanese games like Final Fantasy, Pokemon, and Chrono Trigger, 8-Bit Adventures 2 blends fantasy and sci-fi as a hero’s disappearance kicks off a grand adventure – and a battle for survival.
“I’m thrilled that 8-Bit Adventures 2 was selected to participate in Sydney SXSW, and I’m excited to see players’ reactions to the game in-person,” Hallaran said.
“We’ve participated in international events like Gamescom and Day of the Devs remotely, but never an event in Australia – so SXSW was an unmissable opportunity.”
8-Bit Adventures 2 will be exhibited to badge holders on Wednesday, October 18, from 11am-3pm and to the public on Thursday, October 19, from 5-9pm.
Full details are available at sxswsydney.com
Terry Collins