Astrid Entertainment: Redefining the Boundaries of Entertainment and Gaming

Over two years ago, former Amazon and Fox executive Sharon Tal Yguado launched Astrid Entertainment, a game studio with a mission to create a unique gaming experience. The studio's first project, described as a 'living adventure sandbox,' is focused on the teenage demographic and aims to fill a gap in the market dominated by violent AAA games and cozy indie games. According to Yguado, the team sought to craft an experience that is both positive and exciting, offering an adrenaline rush without resorting to violence. To achieve this, they combined the best elements of RPGs, such as rich world-building and exploration, with a sandbox approach, giving players the creative freedom to shape their own world. The development cycle began with a year of prototyping and building the IP, followed by ten months of creating a proof of concept and demo. Astrid Entertainment is currently testing the game's multiplayer features with friends and family, with a focus on community building and social interaction. Yguado emphasizes that the game is an adventure, not a survival game, where players face challenges and obstacles but have the power to shape the future of their world. Players can curate their own community, inviting friends and family to join, and the game encourages 'multiplayer stories' that evolve the world in unique ways. Having worked in linear entertainment for over a decade, Yguado was drawn to the idea of creating an interactive experience that combines social interaction and creativity. The project marks a departure from her previous work on darker, edgier stories, and she believes it's time for a correction in the entertainment landscape. Yguado sees opportunities for the project to cross over into linear entertainment, with plans to invest in social media and potentially adapt the IP into film or television. Astrid Entertainment is a remote studio with a team of 15 people, including industry leaders from Industrial Light & Magic, Disney Imagineering, and Epic Games. The team is focused on creating a seamless crossover between gaming and linear entertainment, with a balance of talent from both industries. Yguado is proud of the team's progress and looks forward to a promising period of growth in 2025, with plans to hire new talent and start pre-production. She hopes to see more independent developers take risks and create fresh, original experiences, believing that this is the key to long-term success in the gaming industry.