A GROUP of young technocrats have designed and launched a new interactive game which can be downloaded and played on a mobile phone.

They met at Darkroom Espresso, Faringdon Road, to celebrate their achievement with family and friends and all who supported the project on Friday.

The game, set in a world that has been taken over by robots, is a sci-fi ebook app called Binary: Decoded and it follows the story of a 14-year-old experimental android named Pye.

It was written, illustrated, performed, designed and published by the students and is available to buy from the iTunes/iOS App Store and Google Play for just £1.49.

The project took three months of hard work, dedication, imagination and collaboration, with students designing the digital world and its inhabitants, developing the story and writing the text, not to mention creating the sound effects and performing the dialogue.

The project was run by Swindon company Digital Writes and was funded by Arts Council England, with additional support from Swindon Does Arts and members of the public through a Crowdfunder campaign.

Writing, design, illustration and sound professionals from Digital Writes supported young people from the Physical Impairment Unit at Commonweal School, Commonweal School media and graphic design classes, the Media Club at Lydiard Park Academy, and Crowdys Hill special school to help them bring their vision to the mobile screen.

Media teacher Sam Dare, from Commonweal School, said: “This has been a fantastic opportunity for students. They have been given an insight into how an app is planned and developed, giving them invaluable experience working with industry experts.

“Students got involved in illustration, scripting, marketing and digital design and programming, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

“Digital Writes provided an accessible project and supportive environment for a diverse range of students and we look forward to more projects in the future.”

Dylan, one of the students, said: “The sessions were amazing. They were really really fun, and I really enjoyed learning how to build the app.”

Keith Phillips, creative writing and app design tutor at Digital Writes, said: “In this increasingly media dominated world, there are more and more opportunities for young people to take up a career in the creative and media industries.

“It’s important for young people to realise this and to work with arts and media professionals to find out what such a career is like.

“It’s not just TV and movies - websites, games, books and educational resources all need people to create them.”

Cathy Urquhart, English teacher from Lydiard Park Academy, said: “I like the fact we worked with other schools and that young people with all sorts of abilities and conditions have been able to work on it.

“Digital Writes’ tutors are laid back with the students, which is nice, as it’s a different approach.”