Electric Saint's Vision for a Unique Game Development Studio

Anna Hollinrake and Pavle Mihajlovic, the duo behind Electric Saint, have known each other since the 2017 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits event. Their friendship has led to various adventures, including learning to ride motorcycles, surf, and even take a short story writing course together. The next logical step was starting a game development studio. What began as casual discussions in summer 2022 has evolved into Electric Saint, with both founders feeling ready to take the leap into indie game development. Hollinrake notes that she had been considering going indie for years but waited until she felt experienced enough. Mihajlovic adds that their confidence grew over time, and they now feel capable of taking on this new challenge. Electric Saint's mission is to 'make weird shit' and focus on games for underserved audiences. For Hollinrake, this means creating experimental games that allow players to see themselves in the stories and feel represented. Mihajlovic believes that drawing from personal experiences will help them create games that people can relate to. The studio is currently just the two founders, but with investment from the UK Games Fund, they have brought in six contractors to help. They are still deciding how big they want the studio to grow and are taking a flexible approach to hiring. Both founders have learned valuable lessons from their previous experiences in the game industry. Hollinrake's time at Climax Studios and Mediatonic has taught her the importance of fostering a positive work environment and the value of design in game development. Mihajlovic's experience in founding Flavourworks has shown him the benefits of seeking advice and help from others in the industry. Despite the current economic uncertainty, the founders are optimistic about their decision to start Electric Saint. They believe that games are a relatively stable industry and that their unique approach will help them stand out. Their goal is to create games that bring people joy, recognition, and a sense of peace, while also building a studio that supports its team members and allows them to thrive.