Albuquerque indie game development studio Subliminal Gaming is set to produce a video game as part of Meow Wolf Grapevine, which is scheduled to open this summer.
Titled "Jared's Journey," the game involves navigating the main character, Jared, through "the imaginative multiverse of Meow Wolf as he searches for his family," according to a New Mexico Film Office news release.
"We can't divulge too many story details about it, but players will be able to find it and find out more about the space by playing the game there," Ryan Woodward told Albuquerque Business First.
Woodward started Subliminal Gaming in 2012 alongside his wife, Shandiin, who worked at Meow Wolf. Because of her previous experience, Meow Wolf reached out to the Woodwards and inquired about producing "Jared's Journey." Shandiin will direct the game, which will be created in Albuquerque, according to the Film Office release.
Subliminal Gaming employs four people full-time and contracts for additional services like music production, Ryan Woodward said. The studio used to work out of the FreeRange co-working spaces but shifted to remote work after the pandemic. It has produced two games, "Sky Pets" and "Button City." Both games follow Subliminal's "compassionate, cute and diverse" style, according to the company's website.
"Button City" is currently available for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Steam and Itch.
Subliminal plans to release "Jared's Journey" alongside the opening of Meow Wolf Grapevine this summer, Ryan Woodward said. He didn't share any details about the funding behind the game's development.
Ryan Woodward said New Mexico's thriving artistic and technology fields felt separate until Meow Wolf brought them together.
"So being able to work with them and resonate with a really creative industry with them, I think that's huge," he said. "In terms of a professional level, it's just really awesome to work with such a great client."
Meow Wolf Grapevine is set to be the first exhibit to open in Texas. Over 30 other artists, most based in Texas, are collaborating with the Santa Fe immersive art company to design rooms in the new installation.
