It's been a rollercoaster couple of years for thechineseroom. Back in 2009 we picked up an award for Best World/Story at IndieCade for this experimental mod called Dear Esther. Three years later, Dear Esther is an indie hit, we're no longer this little academic research project but a studio employing over ten people and we're currently in the thick of making two games at once, including the sequel to Frictional's 2010 horror classic Amnesia. 

So this is a lightning fast history of thechineseroom, from its humble beginnings in academia, where everything was carved out of the space between the twin pillars of lack of money and lack of technical ability, through to accidentally releasing a hit game, and beyond. We'll talk about the design philosophy of what we do; our take on emotion and story and how that relates to all the traditional stuff about mechanics and things; fusing art, music and design into a deep and powerful gameplay experience, and the nuts-and-bolts reality of being a working indie studio. We'll cover the importance of taking risks, investing in new ideas and content, working as a close-knit but remotely located team, and being part of the indie games community. We'll also discuss what we hope to achieve with Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and our new title, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.

This Lunchtime Talk is part of Open Studio Friday, which takes place at the Studio every week.

Do you want to find out what is going on at the Pervasive Media Studio? Are you interested in meeting our residents, talking about a specific project or curious about pervasive media? Why not pack a sandwich and join us for one of our Lunchtime Talks and Open Studio Friday.

Lunchtime Talks are informal presentations by Studio residents and associates. They normally take place at 1pm on Friday, are free and open to everybody who’s interested in what we do.

After the Talk, we also invite you to stay with us for the afternoon to continue the conversation or work on your own projects. We provide chairs, tables, wireless and a great space. You bring what you need to work with (laptop/mobile). Our open afternoons close at 5pm.

Let us know if you’d like a tour of the space and we'll be happy to show you around. Send an email to admin@pmstudio.co.uk