York graduates bag £25k video game competition

A team of university graduates from York has won a national competition that could help take their video game into the homes of millions of gamers.

Mujo Games took part in Tranzfuser, the government’s video game development competition where graduates pitch their original video games against one another to win up to £25k from the UK Games Fund.

The team won with an abstract rhythm game, Yellow Rock Road. Players take on the role of a time travelling band, and tap two buttons to keep in time with the music. It impressed the judges with its vibrant art, superb soundtrack and use of players’ own music libraries.

Margot James, minister for digital and the creative industries, said: “Over the past three years, Tranzfuser has been identifying and nurturing the UK’s next top video game developers to turn their original and innovative ideas into reality.

“Mujo Games are worthy winners and I would like to congratulate all the teams who took part this year.

“Through our modern Industrial strategy we are committed to ensuring the UK games industry continues to translate its energy, skills and talent into even greater economic success.”

The government’s £5m UK Games Fund (UKGF) is delivered by UK Games Talent and Finance, and has so far supported 250 graduates and more than 90 UK companies to create their own video games.

During the summer, Tranzfuser gave 17 teams from across the UK £5,000 and gave them just 10 weeks to develop their idea for a great game from concept to playable demo.

In September 2018, the games were showcased at the UK’s most popular consumer video games show, EGX, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

Joni Levinkind, lead programmer at Mujo Games, added: “Winning Tranzfuser has opened so many opportunities for our team, and we really hope to make the most of them. We are all incredibly excited to find out what the future holds.

“All of our team members have gained a range of skills from game development to management, marketing, and financial planning. We have learnt so much and feel more confident in our ability to succeed as independent developers within the games industry.”

The Tranzfuser teams developed various games, from single-player puzzles to multiplayer room-scale Virtual Reality experiences.

Teams also received invaluable support and expertise throughout the competition from a nationwide network of Tranzfuser Local Hubs based at some of the best UK universities for video game design and development.