Taming Yore Dragon is a puzzle-adventure game that integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques into its gameplay and narrative. Set in the Land of Yore—a world burdened by sadness and despair—the story follows the main character's journey to rescue allies and defeat the dragon Deimos to restore light and color to the world. Developed over 2 years with funding from Screen Australia, the game features 3D isometric gameplay on PC and consoles, blending platforming challenges with accessible puzzles designed to teach players emotional regulation strategies as they progress. The game emphasizes authenticity and positive impact, utilizing a vibrant aesthetic where the world's physical transformation reflects the player's personal growth and successful application of therapeutic lessons through the games mechanics and systems.

My Role on the production

Executive Producer

As the Executive Producer for the Taming Yore Dragon expansion pack, I worked as oversight for the project’s fiscal and operational success. The project had an initial budget of $420,000, which expanded to $600,000 under pressure from external stakeholders that were supporting the project. This happened outside of my control, but I was firm in reining in the creatives involved and ensuring the project released on time. I also ensured all contractual milestones for the Screen Australia grant were met, including the Jan 15, 2024 midpoint and the final Jul 29, 2024 delivery. My leadership was necessary to balance creative goals with technical requirements for a multi-platform launch, effectively navigating complex outgoings for localization, legal, and marketing.

Lessons Learned

Balancing financial considerations with the talents intent

The discovery that key creative personnel had covered up the increased expenditure on the project was frustrating. Perpetrated by owners of the business, it was difficult to identify the points where discipline and communication had broken down. In future, I changed the way I interfaced with creative teams to ensure that budget changes and expansions in scope were directly tied to financial considerations and that all financial discussions came through me. This allowed me to balance the needs of the creative stakeholders with the considerations of the business as a whole.