Game Designer on CorbynRun
CorbynRun was a viral web, iOS and android game built for the General Election 2017.
Built in just three weeks by a rapid-fire team of political activists and developers, it exploded on launch, achieving 150,000 downloads, 2 million impressions and international coverage in under a week.
The project arrived in a flash: Labour approached a political activist and friend who then approached me for my game design expertise. Suddenly we were turning a political manifesto into an infinite runner.
Its success became the catalyst for my work at Digital Liberties on further social good projects.
The game was exhibited at the Design Museum in London during the Hope to Nope show.
behind the scenes +
behind the scenes +
The story
I was one of the two original founders behind CorbynRun. Being there from day 0, I played a key role in initial brainstorming.
The team originally wanted to make a political simulation game. I steered them away from this, suggesting instead that to hit virality we should go for a simple mechanic with a strong visual story. Together we arrived at the idea of an infinite runner.
I sourced developers from my games network who were able to develop quality on short notice. We didn’t have defined roles, instead working closely together where gaps arose to deliver in three weeks.
My focus was on maintaining quality and vision to ensure the game could satisfy Labour’s two goals: virality and education.
Games for the Many
After the success of Corbyn Run, I co-founded Games for the Many under Digital Liberties.
We toured the UK running game jams and teaching political activists how to make games for social change.
I got to speak on international stages, meet inspiring people and advocate for an era of games beyond entertainment.
My contributions earned me the Campaigner of the Year Award at MCV 2018.
