Tembusu Bemused: The Tree Chapter
Let me introduce you to the point-and-click adventure game Tembusu Bemused: The Tree Chapter, a collaborative piece by artist duo Stick and Balloon -Yanyun Chen and Sara Chong– and Tembusu College, National University of Singapore.
“As part of our inaugural artist-in-residence programme, as well as our first successful year of the new college, we experimented with the idea of featuring the college’s quirks and adventure spirit by designing the staff and faculty of Tembusu College as in-game characters, designing our academic study and personal interests into the story as well. Students were involved in naming the characters, debugging the game, and open to the possibility of engaging with their professors in a totally different light.”
Stick and Balloon infused their whimsical art and story-telling with original music by composer Jachin Pousson, animation by Aimee Rusli, developersBuild and Connect and Arul Prasad.
“The story goes with our protagonist Stig receiving a letter from the Tembusu tree to search for Greg, the Master of the school. Stig meets a series of odd professors, each with their own puzzles and problems to solve. And a giant albino millipede!”
Stick and Balloon’s 2011 game Jimmyfish was awarded the “Jury Selection Work” for outstanding works at the 15th Japan Media Arts Festival held in February 2012.
