Bea A. Ellis Children of the Forest: A Bigger World

Finalist
Credits
  • Tauira / Student
    Bea A. Ellis
  • Kaitautoko / Contributor
    Masaya Todoroki
Description:

'Children of the Forest: A Bigger World' is a platforming and puzzle game completely written in verse and illustrated to look like a watercolour painted storybook come to life.
Play as four tiny thumbling siblings - Peer, Trussel, Kaisa and Little Tot - who are on a big rescue mission and must venture far from home, encountering friends and foes, as they reach the world of the giant humans, face danger and cope with change to their environment.
Directly inspired by the original book "Tomtebobarnen [Children of the Forest]" (1910) by Swedish author and artist Elsa Beskow, this project of mine aims to shed a new light on this 100+ year old story by bringing it into the videogame realm. As a short demo, it shows the potential of a full-length project to inspire a new generation to stay curious, explore the world and face their fears.
The original book is very special to me and has been read in my family for four generations along other Beskow works. This solo project is my Capstone Project from my final year studying Digital Design at Auckland University of Technology. It is a personal tribute to Beskow and her wonderful world of watercolour and wonder.