This article originally appeared on Vulcan Post.
The SG50 mobile game series officially launched today at Campus Game Fest held at ITE College Central. Developed by local game developers and inspired by Singapore’s culture, heritage and identity, the games are uniquely local and fun to boot. And the good news is, they all available for free public download on the App Store and Google Play.
Containing various characters that all Singaporeans would be familiar with — such as summon aunties and an 8-bit version of Tan Tock Seng — it’s not hard to see why they were chosen by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to celebrate our nation’s 50th birthday.
The five games available for download from today are:
1. KAN-CHEONG! Kopitiam Saga by Mojocat
Download: Google Play and App Store
Noisy and brash, this game is unabashedly local, which is what makes it so endearing. Incorporating Singaporean quirks and eccentricities, it presents 7 different kopitiam scenarios, from drinking beer while watching football (complete with the beer auntie always blocking the way) to saman aunties always prowling around while you go for a quick bite. Best lah.
2. Building The Lion by Swag Soft
Download: Google Play and App Store
Like a combination of Monopoly and SimCity, this 3D board game is a fun multiplayer, allowing each player to build quintessential Singaporean buildings at each turn. Go crazy and build HDB flats next to the Singapore flyer — in this game, it’s all possible.
3. My Singapore City by Ixora Studios
Download: Google Play and App Store
A simple memory game gets spruced up by adding a quicker element to it. It’s pretty straightforward and easy to play as you unlock landmarks around Singapore while travelling through from the pre-colonial days to independence and beyond!
4. Rickshaw Rush by Mojo Forest
Download: Google Play and App Store
Creative director Morby Lin said that making Rickshaw Rush was a refreshing change from the other puzzle games Mojo Forest are more accustomed to developing. A mix of Snake and Pacman, players take on roles such as a rickshaw driver, picking up customers and learning more about the iconic personalities that have helped shape the nation. Check out the 8-bit Anita Sarawak, it’s the best.
5. Satay Club by Afzainizam Zahari
Download: Google Play and App Store
This one’s like Diner Dash with a local flavour: you play as Adi rushing satay orders in the 1940s, and on the famous local satay stretch on Beach Road. A concept we’re already familiar with, this is gonna be a good one for those commutes to and from work.
According to the event organisers, the game industry is a fast growing sector in Singapore, and with a majority of youth engaging in video games and the sorts, it was only right to launch the series at a festival made by youth for the youth.
The SG50 presence was strong at the Campus Games Fest, with a huge section reserved for the Pioneer Generation-Youth Volunteer Gaming Challenge Zone, where students interacted with the pioneer generation to engage in some casual gaming.
Over the past month, students from ITE College Central have visited the Lion Befrienders and Thye Hua Kwan senior activities centres in the neighbourhood, where they shared mobile games like Fruit Ninja to help keep the elderly’s minds active, as well as took part in therapy sessions to help stroke patients in their recovery.
Student Nur Farhana Bte Kutubundeen said, “It’s a fun and eyeopening experience, to see the elderly interact with the games. We chose something like Fruit Ninja because it’s intuitive and easy to pick up.”
To see some of this action IRL, and perhaps engage in a mini Fruit Ninja battle with one of the senior pros, head down to the Campus Games Fest, happening 26-28 June 2015 at ITE College Central.
