Whoa! Rubber duckie chaos in Astrolander. (Lost Cartride Creations/YouTube)
Many teens love to play video games. But how many of them are making their own?
Maximus Trest of White Rock, BC is one of them. At just 13 years old, he has started his own game studio, Lost Cratride Creations, and is the creator of a fantastical outer space adventure called Astrolander. That's pretty remarkable.
And it's not even the best part.
Because in Fall 2024, the game that he created will be getting an official release to the public!
And on Playstation 5!
Seattle scene
An underwater scene from Astrolander. (Lost Cartridge Creations/YouTube)
How did a 13-year-old from Canada get his video game signed to one of the biggest video game consoles on the planet?
The story starts last year at the annual Seattle Indies Expo (meaning that he wasn't even a teenager at the time—he was 12). This event is for independent game developers to show off their works in progress and get feedback. At the event, people from Sony saw the game and loved it. (Playstation is Sony's game console.)
Before he knew it, Max was in talks to sign a deal with Sony.
"It's really exciting, I never expected this to happen," he told CBC. "I thought this was just going to be a small release on PC Steam." (Steam is a service that helps indie developers get their games out to the public.)
Instead, this inspiring young person is getting a big Playstation release. Wow!
What is Astrolander?
A dragon chases Haptic in Astrolander. (Lost Cartridge Creations/YouTube)
So what is the story behind his game?
Aliens have stolen the MVPs, or Most Valuable Programs. Players work together to control two cute robots—Haptic and their sidekick, Feedback—as they face off against enemies to rescue the MVPs. The worlds look bizarre and fun, and you get to face off against dragons and, hilariously, giant rubber ducks that shoot lasers!
The names of these characters are no accident either. They come from a feature that Playstation has, called haptic feedback, that lets players feel vibrations of the action in the game through their controllers.
"It really is a dream come true," says Max. "Never give up and follow your dreams!"
Watch a trailer for the came below and mark your calendars for next fall. Congratulations, Max. You're an intergalatic inspiration!
