Aconite Co.
I'm the co-founder and CEO of Aconite, a game startup. Every game Aconite makes uses emerging technology to tell stories in new ways.
HoloVista: a mixed reality mind bender
HoloVista, Aconite's first title, is a dreamlike XR mobile game about uncovering your unconscious mind via exploring a high-tech mansion that adjusts to fit the occupant. Playing out on a fictional social media app in the near future, the game tackles themes of mental health, luxury, perception, and family.
HoloVista was a cult hit that received wide critical acclaim. It won nine awards, received 14 more nominations, got exhibited at SIGGRAPH, and was in Metacritic's Top 10 IOS games of 2020. A partial list of accolades includes:
Selected press for HoloVista:
- An intoxicating journey to another world, NME
- The first mobile game of its kind, The Verge
- A gorgeous and truly mixed reality experience, Forbes
- A game about the ouroboros of social media, Input Mag
- A dark and dazzling critique of social media, Eurogamer
- Takes VR iPhone gaming to a beautifully surreal new high, Cult of Mac
- The best designed game of 2021, Fast Company
- The most captivating game that I have played this year, Pocket Gamer
The Bureau of Multiversal Arbitration
The Bureau of Multiversal Arbitration was a narrative game that used generative AI as a core mechanic to unlock creativity, collaboration, and emergent storytelling.
Structured as a series of weekly events, the game's three phases involved players collaborating to create/submit images, voting on each other's submissions, and receiving video updates documenting the consequences of their actions.
Selected press/accolades for the BMA:
- Enter the multiverse – the chat-room game made of AI art, The Guardian
- Games of the Year 2022, Eggplant
- Winner 2023 Breakthrough in Storytelling Award, Columbia Digital Storytelling Lab
- Nominee: Emergent Narrative Category, A MAZE BERLIN
- Gold Honor in Artificial Intelligence, Shorty Awards