we used to make the slides. now we make the game.
SUBJECT 09: The Speed of Science
Our first game: a pixel-art musical-combat roguelite. Wake up in a gown, climb Zenith Labs, sing karaoke with middle management. Free in your browser.
About us
We spent years in the pharmaceutical industry. We sat in the meetings. We built the decks. We were cc'd on the emails where "patient-centric" appeared eleven times and the patient appeared zero. We learned that "aligned" means nobody agreed, "circle back" means never, and "the science is settled" means the slide is locked for editing.
Then we left. Not fired. Left. Of our own free will, which, we were told, is not a recognised KPI.
There are two of us. Both uber-talented. Both unvaccinated. In the industry's own words: non-compliant. We prefer "early adopters of doing whatever we want."
So we started a game studio, because nothing says "stable career pivot" like independent game development.
dropbear studios makes satire: political, corporate, and impolite on purpose. We think the funniest thing about modern institutions is how seriously they take themselves. Our games put the mission statement and the reality in the same room, lock the doors, and let you watch them fight. We do not focus-test. We do not run it past Legal. Legal is not invited. Legal knows why.
SUBJECT 09: The Speed of Science is our first game. You're a test subject in a hospital gown, climbing the floors of Zenith Labs: a company with a values poster on every wall and a values audit on none. You'll fight middle management, sing karaoke with your enemies, and discover what "trust the process" means when you are the process. Results may vary. Side effects may include laughing in a meeting.
We wrote every joke ourselves. Most of them we didn't have to invent. We just took notes.
A drop bear, for the uninitiated, is Australia's most dangerous animal: a koala that drops out of the trees onto unsuspecting tourists. It's totally real. Zenith Labs, on the other hand, is not. Any resemblance to an actual company, regulator, press release or quarterly earnings call is purely coincidental, and if you recognise yourself, that's a you problem. Please consult your physician. Or don't. We're not your mum.
dropbear studios. We used to make the slides. Now we make the game.
Contact
Press, players, and anyone who recognised themselves in a values poster: hello@dropbearstudios.net.