Gifts
A unique 50th birthday gift: half a century, as a video game
Fifty years is a lot of material: childhood, the wild years, kids, jobs, trips and quirks that have been polished for decades. A 50th birthday gift should be up to it.
We make a retro 16-bit video game, the style of the consoles from when they were in their twenties, with their life in chapters, their people as characters and an ending full of messages. It's the ideal gift for family and friends to give together.
From 59 € · You get it within 7 days of completing the guide (72 h with Rush).
The demo is the game of Grandad Ray, a made-up grandad turning 70.
How a 50th birthday game works
Tell us who they are
Our guide asks the right questions, about 10 minutes: the stages of their life, the stories they always tell and who'll be at the party. It saves itself and you can finish another day. Photos if you like, for their pixel portrait.
We write and build their game
We show you the script before building it. It's ready 7 days after we have their full story, or in 72 hours with the rush option.
Give it to them at their 50th party
They get a private link. It plays on a phone, a computer or the TV, with nothing to install.
Ideas for what their game could include
Five decades, five chapters
From the neighbourhood they grew up in to today: one chapter per decade, each with its own characters.
“LEVEL 50”
Their name on the title screen with their level underneath. Silly, and it gets a big laugh at the party.
The story they tell at every dinner
Finally a playable chapter, with every detail exaggerated exactly the way they tell it.
Messages from everyone
The ending brings friends and family together on screen. It's when the whole room goes quiet.
How to give it
Project it at the party or the birthday dinner and let them play in front of everyone. With twenty people chipping in, the Special commission is under €10 each.
Scenes their game could have
The family meal
Grandma's paella is a puzzle: rice, beans… and the crispy bottom has to be earned. After lunch, the family quiz.
Work
The printer that always jams, turned into the final boss. And the meeting that could have been an email, as a choice to laugh at.
Why it's different
Not a template with their name on it
Some “personalised” games swap the hero's name and little else. We write a story with chapters, and what really happens in their life becomes what you play. Three examples from the demo:
What we were told“At his niece's wedding in 1998, he took the waiter carrying the four-tier cake for a cha-cha-cha.”
What you playA rhythm minigame: you dance with the waiter to the beat… and the cake ends up on the floor, just like that day.
What we were told“His little dog Biscuit eats whatever she shouldn't.”
What you playA puzzle: Biscuit has the car key. You have to fill her bowl so she drops it.
What we were told“His old Mini hardly ever starts: every Sunday he pushes it down the road with his mate and the neighbours.”
What you playA race against the clock pushing the Mini down the road, collecting cha-cha records on the way.
Every game is directed by a person in the studio: they write the humour for that person, play it all the way through and nothing ships without their OK. 16-bit pixel art and original music, composed for the studio.
Price
Choose their edition
You get it within 7 days of completing the guide (72 h with Rush).
Adventure
59 €
Their personalised game: about 15 minutes to laugh, recognise themselves and be moved.
- 3 chapters with their people and places
- Their stories turned into game mechanics
- A clever moment made only for their game
- Ending with your message
- Private link and digital gift card with a QR code
- 1 round of changes
Recommended
Celebration
89 €
More game, made to share: about 25 minutes.
- Everything in Adventure, plus:
- 4 or 5 chapters
- Party mode on the TV: minigames to pass the controller
- More characters and more secrets
- Soundtrack in their musical style
- 2 rounds of changes
Special commission
from 179 €
For groups and big moments: weddings, retirements with the whole team, farewells.
- Everything in Celebration, plus:
- Several heroes or a longer story
- Custom requests
- 3 rounds of changes
- If your commission needs more, we'll quote it before we start
Rush 72 h · +40 € Adds to any edition: you get it within 72 hours of completing the guide.
Give it as a group: a 179 € Special commission split between six friends is under 30 € each. One person pays and you split it however you like.
You start free: tell us their story with the guide (about 10 minutes) and pay at the end, once you've seen how it looks. Before building it we show you the script: if it doesn't convince you, we refund 100 %.
Your game will stay online for at least 5 years from delivery; if we ever had to take it down, we'll warn you well in advance and give you a way to keep it.
Changes
What changes include
Before building the game we show you the script: you can change anything there. Once the game is built, you get 1 round of changes with Adventure, 2 with Celebration and 3 with the Special commission.
Included in a round
- Texts and lines
- Names
- Appearance details (hair, glasses, clothes…)
- The chosen music
- Small reorderings
Quoted separately
Adding chapters or new mechanics after the script is approved. If you want that, we'll quote it.
Frequently asked questions
What if they haven't played a video game since the nineties?
Even better: 16-bit is exactly that era's style, and it plays with four arrows and one button. No skills needed.
How do I collect stories from so many people?
The questionnaire saves itself so you can fill it in over several days. Ask each friend for one story and one catchphrase; our guide on personalized gifts has the questions that work best.
How much is it and how long does it take?
Adventure is 59 €, Celebration 89 € and the Special commission from 179 €, VAT included, charged in euros. It's ready 7 days after we have their full story, or in 72 hours with rush delivery (+40 €). It's digital, so there's no shipping and nothing to get stuck at customs.
Who would yours be for?
From 59 € · You get it within 7 days of completing the guide (72 h with Rush).
The demo is the game of Grandad Ray, a made-up grandad turning 70.
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