End of Ember: Optioned for TV Production
Australian video game IP End of Ember has been optioned for film and television, following a new development agreement between Adelaide-based game studio Bad Plan Studios and Sydney/Melbourne-based independent production company Cosmic Scream. The project marks the first example of Australian game IP moving into long-form screen development.
I've had a bit of a run at the playtest over on Steam and it is a blast! Literally. Art style fills that nostalgia just a bit, but it is the macabre and twisted humour that elevates Ember to another level.
Check out the below release from the team over at Bad Plan Studios with a video at the end outlining some details for the demo releasing on Steam soon.
Keep an eye out for our show too, if everything falls into place I could be chatting to the team behind End of Ember in the near future.
End of Ember is a maximalist roguelite action game that has been shock-and-aweing audiences with its unique blend of cute, gory, and off- the- wall humour ahead of its 2026 demo release. The game follows the story of Ember, a girl who discovers her true destiny after accidentally being sent to Hell by her neglectful parents on her 15th birthday. Ember teams up with Abe, a sentient demon chainsaw with an ancient bloodline and an axe to grind. Together, Ember and Abe carve a swathe of blood and viscera through the underworld, on a journey to discover just what the Hell is going on.
End of Ember has received praise and recognition from both critics and industry since it was first revealed in 2024. Alpha Beta Gamer called End of Ember “a blast, with satisfyingly gory combat, a nice variety of perks, an excellent soundtrack and lots of great horror movie easter eggs”. In 2025, Bad Plan Studios received funding from the South Australian Film Corporation to present the game at Gamescom, the largest trade fair for digital games in the world.
The team behind Cosmic Scream see End of Ember as a natural fit for screen adaptation.
“We’ve loved spending time in the world of End of Ember,” said co-founder Henry Koehne. “It’s bold, visually distinctive and emotionally charged, which makes it an exciting foundation to build from as we explore its potential for film and television.”
Cosmic Scream has a strong track record in horror and a filmography that has screened at some of the largest genre festivals in the world. The team will be one of 20 filmmaking teams participating in the JETS Initiative during the upcoming European Film Market (EFM). This year, the market will host a new industry platform ‘EFM Animation Days’, which brings together producers, financiers, sales companies, broadcasters and distributors to explore international animation projects with strong market potential.
The adaptation effort comes at a time of increasing demand for Australian-made screen content, following new local content investment requirements for global streaming platforms.
Dan McGuiness, Creative Director of End of Ember and illustrator for Anh Do’s Hot Dog series, said the collaboration had been creatively energising.
“‘We have a great creative vibe with the Cosmic Scream guys, and their ideas are just rad,” McGuiness said. “They immediately understood the tone and spirit of End of Ember, and we’re excited to explore how this world can expand into film and television.”
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