For The Love Of The Game

- Glenneis Kriel

Seventeen-year-old game developer Brandon Kynoch is taking the world by storm with his mobile game, Torus. The game was downloaded 100 000 times during its first 24 hours on the App Store for Apple devices and was chosen as the Game of the Day in 137 App Stores worldwide, making Kynoch the first South African to achieve such broad coverage on the App Store.

Kynoch ascribes the game’s success to its focus on enjoyment, rather than income generation. “I launched my own game development company, Hard Craft Studios, in 2017 with the release of my first game, Blast: A Tank Game,” he says. “My long-term goal is to turn Hard Craft Studios into a triple-A game development studio, so instead of trying to make money, I am focusing on building the company’s reputation and creating a following of gamers. My games, for this reason, are available as free downloads, with limited in-app advertisements or purchases distracting gamers from gaming fun.”