From the early days when ‘video game’ technology consisted of a scant few coloured dots moving slowly across a dark background screen, human imagination has made more of games than what we see on the screen.
We imbue the visuals with meaning and we map stories onto them – even the ones with little written narrative to speak of – so it’s no surprise that a storytelling culture such as Aotearoa’s has always punched above its weight in such a medium.
Games developed in New Zealand have run the gamut from multimillion bestsellers to winners of every major international game award, and these stamps showcase a diverse mix of those commercial and critical successes.
Whether you play games to unwind on the bus or plugged into your PC, dialled in on a voice call with a half-dozen of your mates, video games provide a way to relax, to socialise, to explore, and to tap in to worlds both weirder and more expansive than our own.
Stamps:
$2.00 Bloons TD 6
The Bloons series has always blended frenetic monkey antics with quick-thinking action, and Bloons TD 6 shows that developer Ninja Kiwi has rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of New Zealand developers.
$2.00 Depth
Seek your fortune in the murky waters as a treasure hunter or as a literal hunter in Digital Confectioners’ showdown between man and shark. Depth will churn the stomachs of those afraid to go back in the water, pitting player against player.
$3.30 Dredge
Cryptic townsfolk and strange lights in the sky await those who dare try the smash hit fishing game Dredge from Black Salt Games. Players take on the mantle of a sea captain who must fish to earn their keep.
$4.60 Mini Metro
Tasking players with drawing colourful subway networks across dozens of real-world cities, BAFTA-nominated subway design simulator Mini Metro put Wellington-based studio Dinosaur Polo Club on the world map.
$5.30 Into the Dead 2
Over 150 million people have downloaded PikPok’s Into the Dead series. Into the Dead 2 is a frantic race against the clock where players control a character attempting to reach his family in the midst of a terrifying zombie apocalypse.
