Sarawak startup CtrlD wins Best Student Game category

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CtrlD Studio won Best Student Game category at the recent SEA Game Awards KL 2019 for their ‘Ano: Journeys Through Tattoos’ game.

KUCHING: CtrlD Studio, a Kuching-based startup under the TEGAS Startup Lab programme, has won Best Student Game category at the recent SEA Game Awards KL 2019 for their ‘Ano: Journeys Through Tattoos’ game.

The Best Student Game award recognises the overall best game developed by student(s) from the Southeast Asia region. Ctrld D was also one of the top four nominees for best Visual Arts category.

The SEA Game Awards KL 2019 was held in conjunction with Level Up KL 2019 event, a premier gaming conference hosted by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

The awards aim to recognise and celebrate the creativity, artistry and technical genius of the finest developers and games from around this region in addition to upholding creative and technical excellence in the Southeast Asian video game industry.

A total of fifty games made in South East Asia were shortlisted and showcased at the Level Up KL 2019.

“We are beyond grateful to have received the Best Student Game Award and been one of the top nominees for the Best Visual Arts Award at this year’s LEVEL UP KL.

“We see this experience as a great start in our journey as indie game developers wanting to share the arts and culture of Sarawak to the world.

“We also want to thank Sarawak Multimedia Authority, TEGAS and Swinburne Sarawak for their constant support and advice,” Ctrl D co-founder Suan Goh said.

CtrlD is a Kuching-based creative tech studio that focuses on developing specially curated personal experiences by merging art, design and technology. It aims to push imagination beyond the reality through the application of Extended Realities (XR).

The co-founders Suan and Joshua Chung – Swinburne Sarawak’s final-year multimedia design students – was recently selected to participate in the TEGAS Startup Lab second cohort for May 2019 – May 2020. Formerly known as Fouracle, CtrlD joins other outstanding startups in the programme namely BeGO, The Founders Club, Miracolo and HAUS KCH.

At the preliminary stage, CtrlD joined the TEGAS Pre-Accelerator Bootcamp earlier this year where the duo had the chance to pitch their mobile game ANO to investors and industry players. ANO is equipped with AR (Augmented Reality) and is based on the art of Sarawak’s traditional hand-tapped tattoos. Aimed at educating the players on this unique Sarawak culture, the tattoos can be viewed on the player’s arm in AR which enhances their gaming experience.

“We are happy and proud of Joshua and Suan for winning the prestigious award. TEGAS will further strengthen its ongoing partnership with Swinburne Sarawak through collaboration in growing creative startups in the state,” said Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datu Len Talif Salleh, who is also TEGAS chairman.

“The TEGAS Startup Lab programme is our investment to produce potential startups for the Digital Village, and towards empowering young entrepreneurs in Sarawak.”