Acheron Design

Acheron Design is an independent Australian game development studio, which has historically thrived on subcontracting and outsource work. Acheron Design was founded in 2004 by Lewis Strudwick and Athol Birtley. In 2006, the studio became a company, and Michael de Graaf joined the executive team. It is a member of the International Game Developers Association, and the Game Developers Association of Australia.

Acheron Design's notable releases have largely been sports games. The company developed Brian Lara Pressure Play for the PSP, in conjunction with IR Gurus. The game was published by British publisher Codemasters in 2007, and has been a #1 seller in the UK, and in Australia. Acheron Design also worked on the arcade soccer simulator Striker Pro for the Buffalo company Innovative Concepts in Entertainment (ICE).

In addition, Acheron Design has worked on numerous DVD trivia board games. These have often been licensed products, from organisations such as the Australian Football League and Cricket Australia.

In 2007, Acheron Design won a special commendation in the 'Best New Startup' category at the annual Game Developers Association of Australia awards. Brian Lara Pressure Play was also a finalist in the 'Best Handheld Game' category.

In 2004, Lewis Strudwick and Athol Birtley developed and released Laboratory Mission X while studying at Melbourne University. The game is a freeware title for the PC that explores unconventional control mechanisms and gameplay ideas. The studio grew and began performing outsourcing work for companies such as IR Gurus. It is now combining contract work with development of original intellectual property.