Maralinga, a Cold War-Era Survival Game Exploring Australia’s Nuclear Past

A new project is quite ambitious, I wont lie. There is a lot to do and a lot to consider. Our new historical game will explore the secret British-Australian nuclear tests and First Nations stories of Maralinga, South Australia.

Archival Photograph of the Maralinga Vaillage Army Base 1950’s

Maralinga will tell a powerful twofold story, the secretive military and government operations that oversaw the tests, and the human story of the Aboriginal people whose ancestral lands were chosen as the test site. Through immersive storytelling, realistic environments, and historical accuracy, Covyne Entertainment aims to illuminate a dark but vital part of Australia’s history.

The military narrative will draw on records from the Australian National Archives and information made public through the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia (1980s), alongside first-hand accounts from surviving members of the Australian and British Armed Forces.

The Aboriginal perspective will be shaped through consultation with community members and cultural advisors involved in the project, ensuring genuine representation and storytelling that reflects the lived experiences of the Maralinga Tjarutja people.

Maralinga will explore how secrecy, science, and suffering intersected during one of the most pivotal eras of the 20th century. Australia was a very different place back then and Players will uncover hidden truths buried beneath the sands of Maralinga as they learn the mindset of those who lived in the Cold War era.

I will be putting out updates regularly and we are interested in hearing from veterans and those who have been involved in the Maralinga site. If you have a story to tell or know of someone with a first hand account, please do get in contact with us and we just may immortalise your story in the game.