Creative tech studio Method and its gaming arm M Theory have launched a new immersive children’s game, Postcards from Aotearoa, in the aim to get young Kiwis excited about exploring their own backyard.

Available exclusively on the HEIHEI platform, the game follows Aunty Tui as she invites tamariki (children) to join her in discovering epic New Zealand vacation spots. Wherever Aunty Tui goes she sends a postcard with clues which kids must decipher in order to pack the right gear and select the right destination before they’re whisked away to join her.

With international travel on hold, the Method team saw a unique opportunity to showcase some of the country’s greatest travel gems – both well known and well hidden. Tamariki can now play a more integral part in the travel decision-making journey, being better informed about some great holiday spots in Aotearoa. 

Method won funding for the project from the highly-competitive NZ On Air games fund. It was developed by Method and M Theory using the game engine Unity, and is accessible through the HEIHEI platform via a web browser. It’s available across desktop, mobile and tablet to ensure wide accessibility for kids while at home on personal devices or at school.

Postcards from Aotearoa has been designed to be as inclusive and diverse as possible in order to appeal to a wide range of kids. The game includes a collection of skin colours, hairstyles and facial features, allowing kids to customise their character to look just like them.

Method Managing Director Sam Ramlu says the game was designed with NZ tamariki and Kiwis’ love for travel in mind.

“We wanted to create an experience that respected the cultural significance of Aotearoa while also ensuring tamariki of all backgrounds could ‘see themselves’, or a proper representation of themselves throughout the game.

“The Method team used their own experiences and the feedback from their own tamariki to make sure we were providing a fun and engaging experience that was really going to hit the mark.”

Credits:

Creative Studio: Method, M Theory

Designers: Matt Power, Sophie Douglas

Executive Producer: Sam Ramlu

Producer: Hannah Rogers

Game Development: Roshan Nowshad, Andrew Welsh

Illustrations: Scott Pearson

Sound Design: James Dean – Akau Audio

Special thanks to: Nikora Ngaporo – Cultural Consultant, Method Tamariki