Knights of Borria set to launch new game ‘Leximan’ with major European publisher
19 June 2023
A group of game developers who launched an independent game development studio following their studies at Falmouth University’s Games Academy have secured a new deal with publisher Marvelous Europe to release their new game Leximan.
This is the latest success for the trio who have already caught the attention of industry big hitters following funding from Transfuzer for their post-apocalyptic game Rustbreaker.
Knights of Borria is an award-winning UK-based game studio founded in 2020. Formed by three Falmouth University graduates, the company aims to create soulful, fun, and outright weird games.
With the support of Marvelous Europe, Knights of Borria’s Christopher Jones, Max Amaden and Jake Whittaker have recently launched a sneak peek of Leximan, a wholesome narrative-adventure in a surprising modern-fantasy world, driven by bizarre characters, mystical word puzzles and hilarious minigames.
Marvelous Europe is the brand behind Mandragora, Nova Antarctica and Ninja or Die, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Marvelous Inc., developer of beloved Story of Seasons and Rune Factory series. In its industry announcement, the publisher teased: “In Leximan, you’re lucky enough to be enrolled in the world’s most exclusive magic school: Academy Elementinia.
"Embark on a brilliant adventure to solve bizarre problems and unravel a surprisingly wholesome story about embracing and empowering the real you while you bother a chaotic cast of characters. From potion witches and sweaty musclemancers, to a bombastic policewoman and a pyromancer who's just fed up...there are also hat goblins - give hats to the hat goblins, please...!”
Speaking of his time studying in Falmouth and preparing for a career as an independent game development studio as Knights of Borria, Chris Jones said: “The Games Academy and the Games Incubator were extremely helpful during the very first steps of our journey. The Academy team were always around and available to answer any questions we had and they provided us with valuable support and insight into the industry by advising us along the way or pushing us towards opportunities and getting us ready to pitch. So far, the feedback to Leximan has been really, really positive. It totally blew our expectations out of the water.
“This is one of the biggest steps forward on our career path in the industry that we've had so far. I definitely see that Cornwall will have a huge role to play in the future of the games industry."
Marvelous Europe’s Managing Director, Marc Melton added: “We're delighted to be publishing Leximan with the Knights of Borria team. The entire Marvelous Europe team loved Leximan immediately and found it to be a uniquely playful, surprising and hilarious game lovingly crafted by an incredibly talented and conscientious team. We're pleased by the warm reception it's already received, and we can't wait to see what chaotic spells players will choose to create when Leximan launches!”
Gearing up for a growing games market in Cornwall
In its Creative Manifesto, Cornwall Council has recognised the importance of the games industry to the creative sector and its importance to the Cornish economy and overall. In 2020, UKIE (the trade body for games) valued the games industry market in the United Kingdom at £7bn.
It is thought that one in eight jobs opportunities are now in the digital sector, according to a report from Adzuna for the UK Digital Economy Council and Tech Nation.
The rise in demand for tech jobs is thought to be helping to fuel the ‘levelling up’ of England’s regions, with overall hiring up 12% in the South West, month-on-month. CIOS LEP forecasts that the number of creative businesses in Cornwall will grow to over 5,000 by 2030.
Leximan is currently in what’s known as ‘Super Alpha’ mode, meaning the game is nearing completion. The final release will launch on Windows PC via Steam in 2024. For more information, follow the Knights of Borria team on Twitter or wishlist Leximan on Steam.
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