Monsters and microbiology: the Czech studio turning nature into amazing games

Amanita Design draws its influences from Czech landscapes, mythology and cultural history to produce award-winning titles like Samorost and Machinarium

Hanging from the curved ceiling of the old town hall in Brno in the Czech Republic, is the preserved body of a dragon. The beast was said to have terrorised the inhabitants of the city centuries ago, until it was poisoned by a brave butcher. This area of the country is synonymous with myths and monsters. Ivan Mlidek's popular song JoA3/4in z baA3/4in tells of a swamp creature from Moravia - the lush region of which Brno is the largest city - travelling to nearby Prague to eat its tourists. But that was just a song, and the monster hanging by chains in the town hall is actually a crocodile - probably a gift from a visiting king in the 17th century. The myths and legends, however, live on.

Venture beyond the city, into the surrounding forests, and you'll often find Jakub Dvorski, founder of game development studio Amanita Design, exploring and foraging with his young family. It is here, where many of the city's folk tales originated, that Dvorski draws his inspiration. Born in the region and a nature lover, he now brings his two small children out to pick mushrooms and wild fruits, to spot animals or to stargaze long into the night. He talks about investigating nature at every level, from microbes to landscapes, to the universe beyond Earth.