3-Fold Games: The Scottish micro studio making games that matter

3-Fold Games :

Dundee, 20 November 2023: 3-Fold Games is a micro game studio with a mission: to create games that explore topics that are often ignored or overlooked by the mainstream gaming industry. Founded in 2016 by Claire Morwood and Chella Ramanan, who met at a game jam in Bristol, the studio has released two critically acclaimed games that challenge stereotypes and conventions of who gets to be the hero of a game, and what kinds of stories can be told through the medium.
 
Their debut game, Before I Forget, is a narrative exploration about a woman with early-onset dementia. Released in summer 2020, the game received BAFTA and Games For Change nominations in 2021 and a metacritic score of 88. It was later released on Switch and Xbox. The game explores what it means to lose your memories and how living with dementia affects your life and those around you.
 
Their upcoming project, Windrush Tales, is another illustrated text-based narrative game that reflects the arrival of Caribbean immigrants who were invited to rebuild post-war Britain between 1948 and 1970. It is the world’s first game based on the Windrush generation and 3-Fold showcased an early demo as part of British libraries first digital storytelling event this summer.
 
A new demo of Windrush Tales was on show for the first time at the AdventureX convention in London on 4 and 5 November.
“We know how hard it is as a micro games developer, and even £1000 can make a difference to a really small project. It means a company in its early stages could take the game to an event,” said Chella.
 
3-Fold Games co-founder Chella Ramanan said: “People coming into the gaming industry usually start with a really cool idea for a game and then all of a sudden, they’re faced with the business side of making games which is really intimidating. We realised we needed to form a company pretty quickly because we were applying for funding, and we needed a bank account for the funds to go in to.  As a micro games developer, even £1000 can make a difference to a really small project.’
 
“Investing in an accountant is something people might put off, but it is worth doing. Our first accountants made everything seem quite daunting, but once we found a firm with games industry experience, it really helped clarify things and made us feel confident on the finance side.”
 
Chella is based in Sweden and Claire has moved from Bristol to the UK’s gaming capital, Dundee. They engaged Dundee based accountants and gaming industry specialists Henderson Loggie in 2020.
 
“We were aware of Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) and it seemed like a long, difficult and confusing process to apply. It was one of the main reasons we knew we had to find expert help. We knew a few other games companies in Dundee who were working with Henderson Loggie and the word was they understand the industry and made the VGTR process quite straightforward. As a small company, the money we get back as a result makes a huge difference.” said Claire.
 
As a company that believes games can be a powerful tool for social change and cultural expression, the 3-Fold founders have discovered there are not many other sources of government funding and games can fall through the cracks when it comes to arts funding.
 
Chella added: “It’s an area we’ve always found difficult. Before I Forget was not seen as gamey enough for games investors and publishers, or arty enough for arts funding. Being nominated for a BAFTA has made a difference though, and Windrush Tales is being supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and developed with the support of OKRE.’
 
“The government likes to quote that games make more money than film and music put together, but there’s more to the games industry than AAA games. There’s a whole grassroots industry, and it would be nice to see it supported.”
 
Grant Snedden, tax manager at Henderson Loggie, said: “3-Fold Games is an example of how micro game studios can make an impact with their creative vision and passion, despite the challenges they face in the gaming industry. They are also an inspiration for other indie developers who want to tell stories that matter.”