Brie Code's #SelfCare passes 500,000 downloads
Tru Luv Media's experimental mobile game puts studio “three months ahead of where we expected to be”
The latest release from Brie Code's studio has racked up well over half a million downloads within its first seven weeks of availability.
PocketGamer.biz reports #SelfCare has been downloaded more than 572,000 times around the world, charting relatively high on the App Store in various territories.
It performed best in New Zealand where it reached No.9, while it secured the No.11 spot in Australia. All in all, it was among the Top 50 games in 20 countries after launch.
The game is designed to relax the player and raise awareness of the importance of self-care. Set in a bedroom, players must explore the space around them (without leaving the bed) to discover various minigames that illustrate key points of self-care, such as breathing exercises.
#SelfCare was developed by Tru Luv Media with the assistance of Dr Isabela Granic and the Games for Emotional and Mental Health lab. Tru Luv CEO Code told PocketGamer.biz she was "extremely touched" by the App Store reviews and messages her team has received since launch.
"#SelfCare is an experiment," she said. "We are trying to make a new kind of product, game-like and yet not a game. A companion who exists in a safer space who needs understanding and care and who offers the same.
"We weren't sure if anyone would be interested in it besides ourselves. But we poured our hearts into it."
Code said the game's success has put Tru Luv "three months ahead of where we expected to be", giving the studio more time to plan its next move. To begin with, the team will continue to collaborate with Dr Granic to introduce more personalisation and other improvements into #SelfCare.
The game is a prime example of Code's personal ambitions to expand the remit of the industry beyond the traditional audience, creating titles that appeal to those who normally find video games boring.