Madeleine Last: My start-up journey

Inspired by her children, PhD Creative Writing student Madeleine founded Gaming Gone Good, a game design studio dedicated to developing impactful computer games that tackle real-world issues.

How it started…

I originally came to Essex to study for an MA in Wild Writing: Literature, Landscape, and the Environment. This course allowed me to explore the nuances of human and landscape interaction, how to understand environmental challenges and how to approach writing about them in a creative, critical, and scientific context. The course tapped into many of my personal interests, so moving to PhD study felt like a natural progression.

Business development

The idea for Gaming Gone Good began to form while observing my children playing Minecraft. Watching them create and interact in this virtual world offered an insight into the way they connect with other people and the space around them. They were being faced with challenges and finding solutions to overcome them. It was clear that they were acquiring a wide range of skills without realising it.

I realised I had an opportunity to bring together my personal interests, academic experience, and my understanding of raising and teaching young people to thrive in the modern world to redefine the gaming industry by merging entertainment with social responsibility.

Studies have shown that prison inmates spend more time outdoors than children. As a parent, I understand the importance of children spending time outside in nature, but the issue we face is time. Climate catastrophe, biodiversity loss and the conversations being had around these issues require immediate engagement, so I want to harness what we know to work. My mission is to create digital narratives that offer teenagers and young adults’ enjoyment and connections to real-world societal issues in a form they seem to love: computer games. It’s vital that people enjoy our games, so we can maintain that engagement. Therefore, the approach is social impact is the by-product of playability.

How it’s going…

Gaming Gone Good has two pipelined projects to date. EcoGenesis: Guardians of Biodiversity is a concept developed with my children, who were shortlisted for the YGD BAFTA award in 2023. This is the project we are developing first together with University of Suffolk Games Development department and University of Essex Games Design postgraduate students. In this game, players take on the role of guardians tasked with restoring balance to fragile ecosystems and preserving biodiversity. Now, when I step out with my children, they’ll often refer to the games they’re playing in real world scenarios. I want to achieve a situation where kids step outside and recognise plant and insect species and understand the intricate interactions taking place in the natural world. If kids can understand the processes involved in the formation of obsidian just from playing Minecraft, they can easily start to become familiar with natural landscapes by the same method of learning.

My second project, Doughnut Odyssey, aims to teach young people about the concept of circular or ‘doughnut’ economics. The idea is to meet the needs of society without overshooting the integrity of the planet. I have been discussing these plans with DEAL (Doughnut Economics Action Lab) and have made some great connections as a result.

Life is a constant juggle, and I am grateful to those who support my ideas and have my back. I work in Art and Design at a Further Education College, study part-time at the University of Essex for my PhD, manage the development of my business, and care for my family. I take pride and enjoyment in all aspects of my life and my kids inspire me to find a way to make it all work.

Working with Essex Startups

In June 2024 I participated in the Essex Startups Summer Bootcamp. The timing was perfect for me working in education, as it allowed building my business plan over the summer months to be my primary focus. When working in isolation, it can sometimes be difficult to feel motivated and like you’re making progress. However, the regular business plan deadlines, and feedback, kept me on track and made the process manageable.

Following completion of my business plan, I took part in the Big Pitch event in October and was delighted to be announced as one of the winners. I was awarded £2,000, which allowed me to set Gaming Gone Good up as a limited company and will assist with further game design development.

I continue to meet with members of the team on a monthly basis to discuss progress, ideas, and opportunities for further investment.

What’s next…

In collaboration with a colleague at the University of Suffolk, we have been discussing game dynamics further and working towards a demo which can be submitted for funding to further develop the game. Biodiversity is a delicate subject; we want the game to be accurate and scientifically sound.

We have also discussed ways we might research player behaviour to understand how games can impact human/nature relations. So many exciting avenues to explore.

I am also looking forward to participating in the Empower programme run by the Essex Startups team. It is a six-week programme specifically designed for female founders, and I’ll get another opportunity to pitch for funding at the end.

Words of wisdom

Don’t give up.

Love what you do.

Challenges can sometimes feel overwhelming but get stuck in and the experience will be far more rewarding.

Find out more

If you have a potential business idea, or are interested in developing your business skills, find out more about the training, events and support Essex Startups offers to current students and recent graduates.