Nguyễn Như Tùng

Turning a Passion for Games into His Own Path

Driven by a childhood passion for video games, Nguyen Nhu Tung, a graduate of BUV’s Computer Games Design and Programming programme, has steadily built a career in game development. Today, he has co-founded TinyTiger, an independent game studio established with friends to create original games and open up more opportunities for young creatives.

Tung began teaching himself game development in 2017, exploring Unity to modify maps, weapons and visuals in Ravenfield. With no prior programming knowledge, he learned through curiosity, experimentation and persistence. In 2020, he published his first game modification on Steam Workshop. Within just two days, it appeared on the platform’s front page and received a 95% positive rating, helping him connect with an international community of creators.

However, pursuing his passion through higher education was not without challenges. With his mother shouldering the financial responsibility of raising two children on her own, Tung knew that securing a scholarship was essential to making his dream possible. He first discovered BUV’s game development programme while participating in the CareerQuest competition in Year 11.

Learning to Create Together

At BUV, Tung gained hands-on experience across different stages of game development, from design and programming to 3D modelling and visual development. More importantly, he learned the value of communication, empathy and collaboration, recognising that successful games are built by people who listen to one another and understand the needs of their players.

Opportunities to undertake an internship and contribute to a Google Arts & Culture project from his first year, followed by industry experience at Gameloft and participation in university-wide and national Game Jam competitions, broadened his understanding of the industry. For Tung, success gradually became about more than winning competitions; it also meant enjoying the creative process and growing through shared experiences with teammates.

Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation

TinyTiger grew out of a shared dream among friends to develop games they could truly call their own. After ten months of seeking investment and working with three potential investors, the team gradually moved towards establishing the studio. Along the way, they faced difficult decisions, including shelving a project that had taken months to develop in favour of a more manageable concept and a more sustainable working rhythm.

TinyTiger is now working towards releasing its debut game on Steam and building an international player community. Looking ahead, Tung hopes to use much of the studio’s future revenue to support emerging creators across different fields, including games, comics, animation and crafts.

For Tung, building TinyTiger is about more than pursuing a personal passion. It is also about helping young people with creative ideas find the opportunities and resources to bring their visions to life.