Oreganik, LLC

Factsheet

Developer:
Oreganik, LLC
Based in Eugene, Oregon

Founding date:
June 2013

Website:
oreganik.com

Press / Business contact:
ted@oreganik.com

Social:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Tumblr

Releases:
Chess Heroes

Address:
44 W. Broadway
Suite 216
Eugene, OR 97401

Phone:
+1 (541) 870-5080

Description

Oreganik, LLC is a digital game studio and consultancy based out of Eugene, Oregon.

History

Founding

Oreganik, LLC was founded by Ted Brown, a professional game designer with credits on games in the Tony Hawk and Tomb Raider franchises, among others. He started Oreganik to make Chess Heroes, a 3D strategy title that injected modern game design motifs into the game of chess. Ted handled all of the code and art, and it was warmly received at numerous events in 2013, but the project was shelved at the end of the year. It was too big for one person to do it justice.

Growth

In the years since the first demo was released, Ted has focused on building both his consulting business and a vibrant ecosystem of local game developers. He co-founded Bitforest, a loose collective that holds social gatherings and game jams on a regular basis. He joined the board of the Oregon Games Organization, a non-profit group promoting game development in Oregon. Finally, he founded Indie Game Con -- now in its third year -- a non-profit event that puts creator-owned games in front of mainstream audiences. This combination of capital inflow and talent development allowed Chess Heroes to take on new life in 2015.

Change

Chess Heroes has shifted from a playful design experiment to a project with a mission: making chess accessible to kids and adults. Billing itself as "The World's Best Chess Game... For Beginners!", its colorful aesthetic and animated pieces make it an attractive alternative to the hyper-real simulators and fantasy-filled reskins available today. Through modern game design techniques, it aims to make learning chess just as fun as playing it with other people. It has a Kickstarter campaign launching on September 1st, with the ultimate goal of getting enough money to finish the game and, importantly, make it available to schools... for free.

Projects

• Chess Heroes

Team & Repeating Collaborator

Ted Brown
Studio Director

Don Greep
Studio Manager, Freelance

Magdalen Rose
Social Media Director, Freelance

Contact

Inquiries
ted@oreganik.com

Twitter
twitter.com/Oreganik

Facebook
facebook.com/Oreganik

Web
oreganik.com