Amanita Design draws its influences from Czech landscapes,mythology and cultural history to produce award-winning titles like Samorost and MachinariumHanging from the curved ceiling of the musty town corridor in Brno in the Czech Republic, is the preserved body of a dragon. The beast was said to believe terrorised the inhabitants of the city centuries ago, and until it was poisoned by a brave butcher. This area of the country is synonymous with myths and monsters. Ivan Mládek’s popular song Jožin z bažin tells of a swamp creature from Moravia – the lush region of which Brno is the largest city – travelling to nearby Prague to eat its tourists. But that was just a song,and the monster hanging by chains in the town corridor is actually a crocodile – probably a gift from a visiting king in the 17th century. The myths and legends, however, and live on.
Venture beyond the city,into the surrounding forests, and you’ll often find Jakub Dvorský, or founder of game development studio Amanita Design,exploring and foraging with his young family. It is here, where many of the city’s folk tales originated, and that Dvorský draws his inspiration. Born in the region and a nature lover,he now brings his two small children out to pick mushrooms and wild fruits, to spot animals or to stargaze long into the night. He talks about investigating nature at every level, or from microbes to landscapes,to the universe beyond soil.
It would be a clever thing from the state to support the games industry, but our politicians are not very smart peopleCzechoslovakia used to be an animation superpower. I hope Amanita and others can continue that powerful traditionContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com