Biscuit Factory Games – Enterprise Ireland, Innovation Voucher
Biscuit Factory Games - Case Study
Overview
IADT partnered with Biscuit Factory Games – an emerging Irish game studio developing original IP for the global indie horror market – on a €10,000 Innovation Voucher project. Over eight weeks, IADT provided specialist creative-technology input, led by Dr. Naoise Collins, to develop a production-ready antagonist concept and animation pipeline that strengthens the studio’s competitive position in a rapidly growing international market.
Challenge
To stand out within the saturated indie horror space, Biscuit Factory required a distinctive, high-impact antagonist capable of supporting both narrative tension and gameplay design. Meeting this requirement demanded a mix of concept ideation, technical prototyping, 3D asset development, and animation systems-delivered rapidly and to industry standards to support the studio’s commercial timelines.
IADT’s Approach
Leveraging IADT’s expertise in game development, 3D animation, and digital asset production, the project was coordinated by Dr. Naoise Collins with animation supervision from lecturer Dave McEvoy, and included contributions from the following creative specialists:
• Etain Sievers – Concept development & 3D modelling
• Amy Duke – Retopology & texturing
• Suzy Cassoni – Character rigging
• Joahna Diestro – Animation
Working closely with studio founder Dan Bergin-Holly and technical artist Vittorio Durin, the team moved through iterative design sprints, technical reviews, and rapid prototyping to refine a creature concept capable of delivering strong visual impact and in-engine performance.
Impact
The collaboration delivered high-quality assets that support Biscuit Factory’s worldbuilding ambitions and strengthen the studio’s commercial readiness as it develops new IP for international markets. For Biscuit Factory, the project accelerated innovation, de-risked early-stage development, and provided access to specialist R&D capabilities not typically available to small studios.
“The collaboration with IADT was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The team approached the project with professionalism, creativity, and technical skill, and they delivered work that felt industry-ready at every stage. Beyond the immediate results, what stood out was the way IADT fostered a genuine spirit of collaboration. Communication was clear, the process was efficient, and the outcome exceeded our expectations.”
Dan Bergin-Holly,
Founder, Biscuit Factory Games
The TU RISE IADT Elevate Programme hosted an XR Design Sprint bringing together enterprises and creative practitioners to explore real-world applications of immersive technologies through collaborative, hands-on innovation. Over five days, participants developed early-stage concepts across education, culture and creative industries, supported by design thinking and industry expertise.
The TU RISE Elevate team was delighted to attend Amplify 2026, hosted by the IRDG Innovation Network, where Aisling Cox and Dorota Zurek gained valuable insights into innovation, R&D and collaboration. Thank you to the IRDG team for delivering such an inspiring event.
We were delighted to take part in the IADT Summer School on Research & Social Justice, which brought together researchers, educators and community partners to explore the role of research in creating positive social impact. Thank you to everyone who contributed to such an inspiring and engaging event.