This month, the Australian-made online game Silksong grew to become one of the vital performed titles worldwide.
Created by Workforce Cherry, a three-person indie studio in Adelaide, the sequel to 2017’s Hole Knight reveals how small studios can seize world consideration.
Its success issues not only for its artistry however as a result of it demonstrates why video video games are greater than leisure. They’re central to how folks play, join and take part in tradition.
A world second for a small Australian studio
Hole Knight and Silksong are atmospheric side-scrolling Metroidvania adventures set in hand-drawn underground kingdoms.
Whereas trying to uncover the mysteries of fallen realms and restore steadiness to their worlds, gamers encounter insect-like characters, uncover secrets and techniques and face formidable bosses.
The video games are punishing, however every hard-won success makes the battle worthwhile.
On launch day, Silksong rose to the highest of Steam’s charts, with greater than half 1,000,000 folks taking part in without delay.
Critics praised it as one of many best motion video video games of the last decade. Others famous its steep problem, whereas Polygon revealed a dissenting overview. Metacritic at the moment charges the sport 92 out of 100, with a consumer overview rating of 9.1 out of 10.
The joy of the brand new launch had a ripple impact. Hole Knight surged once more, breaking information seven years after launch.
For a small Adelaide studio to dominate world charts with two titles without delay is extraordinary.
Why these video games matter to gamers
As somebody who has performed video games for over 40 years and now researches immersive media and sport know-how, I see extra than simply trendy fight and artwork. Hole Knight and Silksong are constructed on the psychology of play. They punish errors however reward resilience.
Psychologists name this state movement – the identical feeling as shedding your self in a guide or a sport when problem and talent are completely balanced. Each setback teaches, each retry builds mastery, each breakthrough delivers satisfaction.
Video games like Silksong can instigate a movement state – shedding your self when problem and talent are completely balanced.
Circulate and immersion in video games can construct presence – the sensation of truly being contained in the world moderately than simply observing it – and wellbeing. Students resembling linguist James Paul Gee have lengthy argued that video video games can train us how you can be taught, by putting gamers in problem-solving environments the place they have to experiment, fail, adapt and check out once more till they grasp a problem.
Video games aren’t simply leisure: they’re advanced programs that present how folks purchase data, check concepts and construct expertise by means of lively engagement.
A 2025 report discovered 82% of Australians play video video games. The common participant is 35, and for the primary time, girls made up the vast majority of gamers. Households play to attach, adults to loosen up after work, and two-thirds of older Australians proceed to play in retirement.
9 in ten Australians additionally imagine video games assist construct confidence and resilience. Motion-adventure is the most well-liked style – precisely what Workforce Cherry has mastered.
A small however world trade
These cultural breakthroughs emerge from an trade smaller than many realise. The Australian Recreation Growth Survey 2024 reported simply 2,465 folks employed nationwide in sport growth, producing A$339 million in annual income. A outstanding 93% of that comes from exports.
Greater than half of native studios are lower than 5 years outdated, whereas 1 / 4 have lasted greater than a decade. Most give attention to authentic concepts moderately than contract work (initiatives made on behalf of one other firm, resembling licensed video games or porting present titles).
Whereas contract work can present dependable earnings, it hardly ever permits studios to retain artistic management. Creating authentic mental property showcases Australia’s creativity to the world – nevertheless it additionally exposes studios to larger monetary danger if a sport fails to seek out an viewers.
Workforce Cherry, who made Silksong, are a small crew of builders primarily based in Adelaide.
Globally, gaming now generates extra income than movie and music mixed. But in Australia, the sector nonetheless fights for recognition as a cultural trade equal to display screen and tv. Insurance policies just like the digital video games tax offset have supplied stability, however early-stage funding stays a hurdle.
The dangers of world fame
International consideration additionally brings sudden dangers. Inside days of launch, Silksong confronted a flood of damaging critiques on Steam from gamers in China upset with its translation. Greater than 14,000 one-star critiques pushed its rating to “mixed”, regardless of robust essential acclaim.
It reveals how participant suggestions can spotlight respectable considerations – on this case, the necessity for higher localisation.
I’ve beforehand written about the advantages of on-line suggestions and revealed articles on group suggestions on sport manufacturing. Workforce Cherry responded swiftly, promising to enhance the interpretation.
Even essentially the most profitable indie studios should navigate the volatility of world audiences.
Why this issues
The story of Hole Knight and Silksong is about greater than two acclaimed video video games. It reveals how Australian indie studios can affect world play, and the way success could be each celebrated and contested.
Video games are actually central to on a regular basis life. They join households, assist handle stress, and construct communities throughout borders. They’re additionally one among Australia’s most dynamic cultural exports.
Video games are one among Australia’s most dynamic cultural exports.
Hole Knight and Silksong show {that a} modest Adelaide studio can captivate hundreds of thousands. However with out constant funding, publishing alternatives and schooling pipelines, the subsequent Workforce Cherry might by no means emerge.
If Australia needs to maintain shaping how the world performs, video video games should be recognised alongside movie, TV and music as a cultural and financial pressure. Video games are already larger than each industries mixed. They need to not be handled as an afterthought.
When Australians play, the world takes discover.
James Birt, Affiliate Professor, Movie, Display screen and Artistic Media, and Affiliate Dean Engagement, Bond College
This text is republished from The Dialog beneath a Artistic Commons license. Learn the unique article.
