Branch by Branch, Rainbound and Forgetmenots – these are the games nominated for the Skövde Academic Game Award (the SAGA Award). The award is presented by Skövde municipality to emerging game development talents at the University of Skövde and will be handed out during the Sweden Game Conference on 23–24 October. The winner receives SEK 20,000, and we spoke with the creators behind the nominated games.
Branch by Branch
In Branch by Branch, you climb a gigantic tree by building a path of planks and ropes to retrieve your lost balloon. Along the way, you can collect fruit that can be sold to a garden gnome for money, which is used to buy upgrades that allow you to climb both higher and faster.
“The game has a stylised visual style with natural and clear colours. The aesthetic creates a warm and cosy feeling reminiscent of childhood summer holidays,” says Daniel Grimling, one of the game’s designers.
The team behind the game calls themselves Star Skoot Games and consists of four students. The group was formed during a course in spring 2025 when the project began.
“We worked on the game for about ten weeks. We then continued over the summer, but at a slower pace and with a focus on testing new systems.”
How does it feel to be nominated for SAGA?
“It feels amazing. We’re really happy and proud. We’re looking forward to the conference and to showing our game.”
What would it mean to you if you won?
“It would be a great honour and confirmation that what we create is truly appreciated by others, not just by ourselves”, says Daniel Grimling.
What’s happening with Branch by Branch right now?
“We’re continuing to work on the project and aim to start a company. We’ve applied to the Incubator at Science Park Skövde to learn from their experience and get support along the way.”
Download Branch by Branch from itch.io
Rainbound
In Rainbound, you play as a small bird that cannot fly, in a world where it constantly rains. You navigate by using magical powers that you discover along the way. These powers help you jump over or break through dangerous obstacles such as thorny bushes or poisoned rivers. The game has a sorrowful and melancholic atmosphere and takes place in a swamp-like landscape filled with dead trees and water caused by the endless rain. The world was long ago destroyed by humans, visible through remnants such as fences, toxic waste and old signs.
“The game is about how humans destroy nature and how animals must deal with the consequences of our actions,” explains Emmy Hagberg, who created the game’s art.
Together with nine other students, the team calls themselves Skylight Interactive. They began working on the game during a summer course at the University of Skövde in 2024.
“After the course ended, we continued to work on it in our spare time. It was a few hours each week over the course of a year, with a longer break during the spring semester.”
How does it feel to be nominated for SAGA?
“It’s incredible to be recognised for our hard work, especially since so much of it was done in our free time during fun but late evenings. We’re very grateful and happy for the nomination.”
What would it mean to you if you won?
“It would be amazing to have the game recognised at that level. We know the other nominees are very talented and have made excellent games. Winning would feel unbelievable to us – a true confirmation that all our efforts have paid off”, says Emmy Hagberg.
What’s happening with Rainbound right now?
“We’re fixing bugs and polishing the game. We’re still thinking about the next step and the game’s future, but we’re optimistic.”
Forgetmenots
In Forgetmenots, you step onto a theatre stage that represents the game world, where you explore various scenes. Your goal is to solve a puzzle by moving and placing objects correctly. Each solved puzzle reveals parts of an emotional story about loss and memories.
The story is mainly told through a conversation between two characters whose voices you hear as the game progresses. Each time you complete a puzzle, you unlock the next part of their dialogue.
“The game has a colourful and playful visual style reminiscent of a theatre play with props and charming scenes. Despite the cheerful colours, the world has a slightly melancholic feel,” says Effrosyni Moraitou, one of the creators of Forgetmenots.
The game was created by ten students during a course that lasted about two months.
How does it feel to be nominated for SAGA?
“We feel very surprised and happy. It’s extremely exciting, and we think it will be a really fun experience for us.”
What would it mean to you if you won?
“It would be absolutely incredible. Besides the joy, it would be a fantastic recognition of all the work we’ve put in, which we’re very proud of”, says Effrosyni Moraitou.
What’s happening with Forgetmenots right now?
“Forgetmenots has been published on Steam. We feel that the game is finished, so we won’t be continuing to work on it.”
Ladda ned Forgetmenots från Steam
