Simsbury Game Designer Capitalizes On COVID-Captive Audience

SIMSBURY, CT – Taking advantage of the pandemic-driven rise in video game popularity, Simsbury artist Christopher Natcharian has launched ChairianWorks Game Design Studio, a creative venture that incorporates retro designs and charming animated characters into unique, positivity-focused video games.

Featuring ebullient animated aliens with a retro cartoon feel, the mobile and browser games from ChairianWorks focus gameplay on building social, emotional and intellectual skills, rather than the ubiquitous violence prevalent across the industry. This refreshing concept is a welcome change for players weary from months of isolation, anxiety and negative news headlines.

ChairianWorks’ flagship game, “Quentin Etc.”, features a shy main character with social anxiety. Players work to help Quentin (who happens to be an alien) learn to read social cues and befriend as many side characters as he can before time runs out. On his travels throughout his futuristic planet, Quentin must query the characters he meets, try to understand their true natures, and determine how best to forge an authentic link with each. While “Quentin Etc.” is lighthearted fun for any player, the opportunity it presents for players with their own anxieties to learn and practice essential life skills is invaluable.

ChairianWorks founder Christopher Natcharian is a senior at Northeastern University who will graduate in May, 2021 with a dual degree in Computer Science and Computer Engineering.

To celebrate the grand opening of the studio, ChairianWorks is offering a free minigame for a limited time. “I.B.T.T.” features an adventurer stranded on an island, who must find the hidden resources he needs to build a boat and escape. This short browser game is designed to push players to “look beyond what they see,” and builds confidence and self-reliance. Illustrated in a retro, pixellated style, this playful adventure offers a fun introduction to ChairianWorks studio, and can be downloaded at https://chairian.itch.io/ibtt.

Quentin Etc. will be available for purchase later this year. More information about ChairianWorks (including new product release updates, custom digital artwork and animation tutorials) can be found at https://www.chairianworks.com.