Project Huan blends an immersive narrative with a unique MMO experience that harkens back to old-school gaming. — DreamTree Games
In Malaysia’s indie game development scene, two projects are gaining recognition for their creators’ hard work and tenacity, blending charity, culture and childhood memories to captivate gamers.
Budak Home Charity, created by Zulkifli Md Nasir, takes players on a nostalgic journey through Malaysian school life, all while supporting a children’s home.
Meanwhile, DreamTree Games’ Project Huan revisits the simpler days of 1990s Malaysia, intertwining an immersive narrative with MMO (massively multiplayer online) gameplay.
Both developers are not only focused on delivering entertainment but also on creating games that evoke a deep cultural and emotional connection to the past.
Centred on charity
For Zulkifli, or Zul as he’s known, video games were always more than just entertainment. Growing up as part of Generation Y, games like Grand Theft Auto and Dragonball fuelled his imagination and sparked a dream: to create a game of his own one day.
Fast forward to 2024, Zul, now 33, is not only a data scientist and R&D engineer but also the creator of Budak Home Charity, Malaysia’s first charity-driven RPG (role-playing game).
His game was recently featured at Xsolla Level Up KL, South-East Asia’s premier game development conference, for its unique concept and cultural representation.
Zul’s own story began at Rumah Kasih Tun Abdul Aziz, a children’s shelter in Durian Daun, Melaka (previously known as Rumah Budak Laki Laki Tun Abdul Aziz), where he grew up after being taken in at the age of four. — Zulkifli Md Nasir
Zul’s own story began at Rumah Kasih Tun Abdul Aziz, a children’s shelter in Durian Daun, Melaka (previously known as Rumah Budak Laki Laki Tun Abdul Aziz), where he grew up after being taken in at the age of four.
Without any family, the home became his world. Reflecting on those days, Zul says, “Rumah Kasih was everything to me. That’s where I spent my whole childhood. The people, the school, the surroundings – I have very fond memories of my time there.”
After completing secondary school at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tun Tijah and Sekolah Menengah Teknik Bukit Piatu in Melaka, Zul pursued an engineering degree at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) in Batu Pahat, Johor.
Despite having no professional background in game development, Zul took on nearly every aspect of the game himself, from designing the avatars to coding the missions. — Zulkifli Md Nasir
Despite his love for technology, game development remained a distant dream. “I always imagined creating a world, but I never thought I’d actually be able to do it.”
It wasn’t until the pandemic hit in 2020 that Zul found the time and motivation to make that dream a reality. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, he decided to take an online course.
“I was stuck at home during Covid-19, and I thought, why not? So, I enrolled in a Udemy course on game development. I didn’t have any big plans back then – it was just something to fill the time,” he shares.
What started as a personal project turned into a four-year labour of love. “I had just gotten married and was starting a family, so I had to carefully balance my time,” says the father of two.
The result was Budak Home Charity, an RPG with a unique twist – it raises funds for charity.
“I didn’t set out to make a charity game, but as I was working on it, I thought, why not? We have charity concerts, charity sports matches, charity sales, so why not a charity game?” Zul explains, sharing that his primary aim was to bring some focus to homes that give a chance for a better life to orphans, abandoned or marginalised children.
Budak Home Charity takes players through a nostalgic journey of Malaysian school life. Players have to go through three different school years via three avatars – first-year, secondary, and third-year students – and must complete school-related missions to level up.
“I wanted to recreate the feeling of school life in Malaysia. We have missions like cleaning the school grounds, which promotes the idea of loving your school and environment. It’s all about bringing that sense of community into the game,” Zul says.
The game is also filled with elements that celebrate Malaysian culture. From local delicacies like nasi lemak and roti canai to local school uniforms and Minangkabau-style buildings, Zul made sure to infuse as much of Malaysia as possible into the game.
Budak Home Charity raises funds to support homes that offer better futures for orphans and marginalised children. — Zulkifli Md Nasir
“I was inspired by the Korean MMORPG game Ran Online. It really showed off their culture, and I thought, why can’t we do the same for Malaysia? We have so much to offer – our food, our landscapes, even our weather,” he adds.
Zul’s attention to detail extends to the game’s setting, which is modelled after Rumah Kasih Tun Abdul Aziz. “The buildings in the game are just like the ones at the home. It’s my way of paying tribute to the place that raised me,” he says with pride.
Despite having no professional background in game development, Zul took on nearly every aspect of the game himself, from designing the avatars to coding the missions.
“I did most of it myself, with some help from my wife, who would test the game. It wasn’t easy. I have a full-time job, so I had to work on the game in my free time. And then there’s the budget – everything was “sendirian berhad” which means it came out of my own pocket!”
One of the biggest challenges Zul faced was working with outdated equipment. “I’m using an old laptop. Since I’m making mobile games, the specs don’t need to be too high, but it does take a long time to render,” he laughs.
Even with limited resources, Budak Home Charity has been a success. The game has already garnered over 1,000 downloads on Google Play, and players have responded positively to its charity aspect.
“People have been really supportive. Some have even donated through the game. It feels good knowing that my game is making a difference, even if it’s in a small way,” Zul says.
The connection with Rumah Kasih has also been a rewarding experience. “The people at the home were really inspired by the game. They said it’s a good initiative and a motivation for the children there to strive for something... because that’s where I came from,” Zul says.
The feedback he received from industry professionals at Level Up KL was also invaluable. “The PlayStation team told me the game was good for a beginner’s project. They said the school-based concept was a win, but there’s definitely room for improvement. Nonetheless, for a first game, they were impressed,” he says.
While Budak Home Charity is currently only available on Google Play, Zul has ambitious plans for the future.
“The 7th Beat Foundation (also known as 7th Beat Games non-game endeavours) also sponsored two indie game developers this time round, and my booth was chosen as one, which was fantastic because we received RM4,000 in sponsorship!”
While Budak Home Charity is currently only available on Google Play, Zul has ambitious plans for the future. “We’re hoping to release the game on iOS soon. And maybe one day we’ll expand to Steam, Nintendo and even PlayStation. But for that, I’ll need a bigger team,” he acknowledges.
Looking ahead, Zul is hopeful about the future of Budak Home Charity and his journey as a game developer. He plans to apply for grants from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to take his game to the next level.
“Now that I have a completed game, I feel more confident applying for grants. Hopefully, with more resources, I can continue to grow the game and its impact,” he says.
For Zul, creating Budak Home Charity was more than just fulfilling a childhood dream – it was about giving back. “I have very good memories of school and the home. And I wanted to bring that into the game. It’s a way to share my story and inspire others,” he reflects.
In the end, Budak Home Charity is not just a game; it’s a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity and the desire to make a difference. As Zul says, “It’s free to dream big. And sometimes dreams can come true!”
Turning back the clock
Another indie game bringing back nostalgic school vibes is Project Huan.
Set for release in Q4 2025, Project Huan promises to transport players back to the simpler days of the ‘90s, blending an immersive narrative with a unique MMO simulation experience that harkens back to old-school gaming.
From left: Tan, Cham and Gan are building a game centred on community, exploration and discovery, not just fast-paced play. — DreamTree Games
The game is the brainchild of DreamTree Games, a Malaysian indie studio co-founded by Tan Zhi Wei, Cham Wei Chuan and Gan Zhao Hui.
The team’s previous successes with Uri: The Sprout Of Lotus Creek and DeLight: The Journey Home have earned them accolades, but Project Huan aims to capture something deeply personal: a cultural and nostalgic journey into the era when gaming wasn’t just about fast-paced competition but about community, exploration and discovery.
Project Huan is set in a retro-styled virtual world inspired by ‘90s Malaysia, and the concept is rooted in the nostalgia of games like World Of Warcraft, Ran Online and Gunbound. “We all played these games in the nineties,” says Tan, now 32, reflecting on how they were once captivated by early PC and console games.
“There were no mobile games back then. If you wanted to play, it was on a PC or a console, and handheld gaming meant the Game Boy then.”
In Project Huan, three teenagers are drawn into a mysterious game-within-a-game, and players must navigate both virtual and real-world challenges. The narrative takes a dark turn when a mission failure in the game affects one of the characters’ real-world friends, who falls into a coma. The game’s protagonists must return to the digital world to set things right, triggering the adventure.
In Project Huan, three teenagers are drawn into a mysterious game-within-a-game, and players must navigate both virtual and real-world challenges.
“We wanted the in-game story to have real-world consequences,” Tan explains. “In Project Huan, your actions in the game impact the characters’ lives outside the game, adding stakes to every decision you make.”
For Malaysians, the school scenes in Project Huan – complete with button phones, classroom chatter, and the ever-familiar school canteen – are a powerful nostalgic trip. But it’s not just for local players; the game weaves culturally rich elements from ‘90s Malaysia into its design, giving it a unique flavour.
The game’s name, Huan, comes from the Chinese word for “fantasy”, capturing the mix of reality and imagination that defines the experience.
Tan emphasises that while the game draws on local culture, it doesn’t stick to a strictly Malaysian aesthetic. “We’re also influenced by Japanese anime, and we blend those influences into the game’s storytelling and visual design. People will experience something new but relatable.”
The DreamTree Games team is small, with only seven members working remotely, a setup born out of the pandemic. Despite this, they’ve managed to progress from the conceptual stage to an alpha demo in just seven months.
Tan credits much of the studio’s success to the support of MDEC. Its debut title, Uri: The Sprout Of Lotus Creek, was funded with a RM60,000 grant from MDEC’s Intellectual Property Creators Challenge (IPCC), which also provided mentorship from industry veterans.
“We were still working full-time jobs when we started, but that grant allowed us to focus more on our first game. When we got our first publisher and secured a deal worth US$50,000 (RM221,400), we were able to quit our day jobs and go full-time,” Tan recalls.
Since then, DreamTree Games has released DeLight and racked up SEA Game Awards for Best Storytelling (2019, 2022) and Innovation (2021).
Yet, despite the success, DreamTree Games recognises the challenges Malaysian developers face.
“Malaysia’s game development scene is strong,” Tan notes, “but in comparison with places like Indonesia or Singapore, our growth is lagging. We need more investment to support the number of projects coming out.”
The company’s ties to MDEC have been crucial, but Tan acknowledges that such reliance on government support has its risks. “A game’s quality depends on the budget. And the support we get is highly linked to how well MDEC is doing. If something happens to that, the whole ecosystem could suffer.”
Project Huan is set in a retro-styled virtual world inspired by ‘90s Malaysia, and the concept is rooted in the nostalgia of games like World Of Warcraft, Ran Online and Gunbound.
One of the cool things about Project Huan is that it isn’t just about playing a game – it’s about reliving the memories of youth in the ‘90s. Tan reflects on how discussions with friends after school often revolved around strategies to pass game levels, something that’s lost in today’s Internet-dominated world. “Back then, if you couldn’t pass a level, you didn’t have YouTube tutorials. You just had to figure it out with your friends.”
It’s that communal sense of discovery that Project Huan seeks to recreate, blending nostalgia with a compelling narrative that evokes the sense of wonder associated with exploring both digital and real worlds.
As Project Huan approaches its release in late 2025, anticipation is building, particularly after the early excitement it generated at Level Up KL 2024.
“People are excited about the Malaysian elements and the retro vibe,” Tan shares. “It’s a reminder of how we played games back then – compared to today, it was a completely different experience.”
