Sometimes working in such close quarters with a bunch of these creatives will allow you to build something you never thought would be possible. This has been the case for Game Alumni Helen and Max who teamed up with Audio Alumni Sam to create the brand new gaming app FruitFat. 

We chatted with the creators of the app about what they have been up to and how Fruitfat went from an idea to a reality.

Tell us a little about what you have been up to since graduating from JMC?

Helen: After graduating from JMC, I became an artist for PlayAGS, where I produce art assets for games. It's a really awesome place to work. I've learnt new techniques and tips that allow me to make better artworks. 

Max: Helen and I have started our own company Dreamstate Studios. The name derives from our first serious game ‘Dreamstate' which we created in collaboration with Sam as our audio specialist. We've released our first game FruitFat under our company and we plan to release a new game every 6 months. 

Sam: When I graduated from JMC I had briefly worked at a game design studio called Royal Wins and had the chance to learn more about sound design, specifically for games. I've since been working as a guitar teacher as well as doing freelance music production, recording and mixing. Having recorded various bands and singer/songwriters, I regularly work out of Arthur St Studios and have also had a chance to run a session at the newly opened Kiln Studios in Newtown.

Tell us a bit about FruitFat?

Max: FruitFat is a rather difficult casual catching game with elements of the strategy which are not visible right away to the player. Some people might find it tough but once they understand what's really happening, the game can potentially be played forever and the addictive fun begins. 

Sam: FruitFat is the kind of game you play when you want to sleep at 10 but end up putting down your phone at 2 in the morning.

What were the stages of development for this idea? 

Max: It started as small talk between me and Helen, then we asked Sam to get on board. Once we were all set, we started to prototype the game in Unity with simple shapes. We thought it was fun so we concepted some art for the game. Slowly we tested and adjusted things and eventually we put the art in. Because it's 2D, the sprite sheet process can be quite gruelling but the outcome is worth it. Once we had something enjoyable we simply built on it.

How did you guys all end up working together on this app?

Sam: I met the head developer (Max) at JMC when I was brought on to do sound design and music for his game ‘Dreamstate’ which was entered into an international game design competition. It was then when I was introduced to FMOD, which is an industry-standard sound effects engine used for games. Once I had left Royal Wins, I got in contact with Max and began working on FruitFat. My role was to create the sound effects, compose the music and implement them into the game via FMOD. 

How did studying at JMC help with making this app possible?

Helen: At JMC, we learned the development process of game creation from scratch to finish. JMC provided the education needed to learn tools in the software to create FruitFat, including game engine Unity, where you are able to enter your coding scripts and art assets to create the game. 

Sam: Studying at JMC allowed me to meet people working in industries I would not have been exposed to otherwise. This has given me the chance to put what I know in the audio/music realm into practice in a diverse range of projects which will (hopefully) make me a more versatile audio engineer.  

Watch the FruitFat trailer!