Rhenus Vina Musica

In early 2021, after having collaborated on several projects in the games industry, 3D Artist Jörn Friedrichs and Concept Artist Julia Goerke-Milde decided to pursue their dream of developing a video game based on the awe-inspiring art of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch. As the focus of the project should not only be on impressive art and technical direction but also on immersive story-telling, they enlisted the help of their friend and clinical psychologist Dr. Patrick Zimmer. Rhenus Vina Musica was founded in February of 2021 in order to realize our vision of Hieronymus. With the inclusion of programmer Felix Rummel in early 2023, the core team now comprises four members. Although small, we employ a variety of skills in the departments 2D- and 3D-Art, Game Design, Programming, and Psychotherapy. Over and above the development of our immersive, story-focused first video game, we are currently laying the groundwork for a cooperation with a well-known German museum with the aim of developing authentic historical AR experiences. We have been fortunate enough to be financially and ideationally supported by the German state via the ‘Film und Medienstiftung’ North Rhine-Westphalia. Throughout 2021, the concept phase for Hieronymus was funded. Currently, we are working on a first prototype that will showcase a range of core concepts for our game. In this, we are again supported by the 'Film und Medienstiftung’. Until now, we have independently conducted all steps of the process of making our first game (game development, funding acquisition, presentation at conferences, social media etc.). Taking into consideration the wealth of experiences of the last two and a half years, we feel that from this point forward, we could benefit greatly from a cooperation with a publisher who shares our vision of Hieronymus and is willing to support us in development, marketing and distribution.