Largest CODE Funding Grant Awarded To Dunedin Game Developer And Publisher Runaway Play

DUNEDIN, NEW ZEALAND, Dec. 9, 2021 – Award-winning games studio known for its worldwide success with mobile games inspired by nature, Runaway Play, today was announced as the first recipient of CODE’s “Scale-Up” funding, receiving $250,000 in matched funding toward an upcoming project in development.

“It’s really exciting to have this support from CODE - it’s enabled us to make some additional hires here in Dunedin and is helping us on our pathway to more significant growth. We have large ambitions for Runaway.” said Zoe Hobson, CEO at Runaway Play.

CODE Scale-Up funding aims to support the Ōtepoti Dunedin game development ecosystem by assisting diverse creators and studios to develop digital game prototypes, found new studios or expand existing companies’ ambitions.

CODE is funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, with an explicit remit to build the capacity of individuals and entities to drive innovation, revenue and jobs in the local game development sector.

“CODE funding is a good first step toward providing more support for the growth of the games industry in Aotearoa” says Mrs Hobson. “There is a lot of pressure on game developers in Aotearoa right now - right next door in Australia, there are up to 40% tax rebates coming in for game development companies, which puts pressure on us here in Aotearoa, where we’re at risk of losing staff to Australia and in fact, at risk of losing our studios and original IP to Australia too.”

“When you look at other industries, like film, there is significant support available which has really helped that industry grow. Digital technology businesses have incredibly strong growth potential and include a range of benefits like being export based and being genuinely very “green” and sustainable. The establishment of CODE in Dunedin has been a great first step toward supporting the industry, and we would welcome a scheme more broadly accessible to other companies throughout Aotearoa.”

Runaway Play has grown significantly over the last six years, growing from a team of eight to a team of over thirty, and growing their portfolio of games from two games to seven games including a VR title. Over half a million people play Runaway games from all over the world every month.

At the heart of this success, according to Hobson, is the Runaway Play team culture and a strong focus on a core player base and brand. “Our staff are extremely talented, and our culture is all about enabling them and supporting them to do their roles as effectively as possible. We have a really good idea of who we are as a company, what we’re making, who we’re making it for and why. Having that focus and drive, and having everyone working together toward that is incredibly important for our success.”

“The Scale-Up support received from CODE recognises the potential for growth that Runaway Play has, and also recognises the values that we approach that growth with - including a core focus on diversity, supporting our staff and growing local talent.”

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