Harmonium

A Sign Language Musical

Genre: Narrative Adventure Game, Interactive Musical
Coming to: Netflix Games & Microsoft Game Pass

Harmonium is an interactive sign language musical and adventure/narrative game that follows Melody Macato, an energetic 10-year-old Filipina-American musician who became Deaf at a young age. For her upcoming debut show, she wants to create a new type of music that can be felt, seen, and is accessible to her friends.

When Melody's notes leap off the page, she is pulled into a musical and visual wonderland called Harmonium. To make it home in time for her big show, Melody has to face Cacophony, an all-consuming force who can only be defeated with a masterpiece symphony.

In a world where all music is visualized, players explore the wonders of Harmonium through innovative gameplay mechanics and narrative puzzles that incorporate American Sign Language and allow the player to communicate through body language, handshapes, and gestures.

This heart-warming story features universal themes for players of any age and background to enjoy. Players are taken on a fantastical journey where Melody discovers her own painted symphony, a song that lives inside of her heart and through her hands.

History

Harmonium is a collaboration between writers, designers, artists, and animators in the Deaf Community coming together with an award-winning narrative game studio, The Odd Gentlemen, to create an accessible game for a wide, all-ages audience to enjoy. Through many years of development, the story, gameplay, and art has grown and been revised to authentically represent Melody’s story. The team is excited to announce their passion project to the world.

Features

Unique Sign Language Game Mechanics
The game uses sign language and a variety of other non-verbal communication in its puzzles and narrative gameplay. Players will observe and take action in gameplay mechanics that utilize body language and handshapes classifiers to describe things visually. No prior sign language experience is required to play.

An Accessible Experience

Accessibility design has been baked in from the start. The game features a visual language for music, animated subtitles for musical numbers, customizable captions/UI/controls, characters who fully communicate through ASL, a high-contrast gameplay mode, dubbed or subtitled mode, and more.

Interactive Musical Numbers

Inspired by animated musicals and Deaf theater, the game features interactive and musical numbers that are signed and sung, branching dialogues that affect lyrics and gameplay, and puzzles that invite the player to tinker with visual musical toys.

A Narrative Experience for All Ages

Harmonium The Musical is a highly polished narrative, seamlessly told through gameplay. Melody’s story is touching, charming, and humorous with universal appeal. The game is designed to be an experience everyone can enjoy and share together.

CHECK OUT OUR ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES HERE

Harmonium Press Kit

d/Deaf & HoH Creator Spotlight

Harmony Baniaga

ARTIST | PERFORMER | ACTRESS PLAYING MELODY
Harmony Baniaga (she/her) is a Deaf Filipina, born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She’s a Gallaudet University alumni, she graduated with a major in American Sign Language (ASL) and a minor in Dance, May 2022. A dance member of Gallaudet Dance Company at Gallaudet University, and recently she joined the Hip-Hop dance crew RTHMZ in Seattle and has been working alongside them for the past year. Also is a Deaf performer interpreting concerts and music festivals with Pro Bono ASL.
Matt Daigle

CO-CREATOR | CO-WRITER OF HARMONIUM
Matt Daigle is a comedic writer, the artist and co-creator of the online comic, That Deaf Guy. In addition to his creative work, Matt is a Deaf Studies professor at California State University at Northridge. Matt has worked with The Odd Gentlemen since the early days of the project shaping the game and building out the team
Morgan Baker

LEAD ACCESSIBILITY | WRITER | DESIGNER
Morgan Baker (she/they) is an award-winning game accessibility specialist and inclusive designer. Being a Deaf musician herself, Harmonium is a project that is special to her and close to her heart. In addition to designing and writing for Harmonium, Morgan has also proudly worked on several other game titles ranging from indie to AAA to improve accessible design and authentic representation. When she isn’t making games, you will find her enjoying a good book, organizing local esports tournaments, or cuddling with her two corgis.
Søren Bro Sparre

ANIMATOR
Søren Bro Sparre is a professional Deaf animator from Denmark. Has worked on feature films, TV series, commercials and computer games. Has a great passion for working with sign language in animation and takes on new challenges with great joy. For The Odd Gentlemen, Søren is a 3D animator and storyboard artist and dreams of working with more video games and films with sign language in the future.
Mandy Harvey

ADVISOR | SINGER | SONGWRITER
Mandy Harvey is a singer, songwriter, author, and speaker who happens to be deaf. After losing her residual hearing due to complications with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Mandy created a new system for staying connected to music based on vibrations and touch. Mandy was Simon Cowell‘s “Golden Buzzer” pick on America’s Got Talent. The video has collectively received over 600 million views. Mandy uses her talents and artistry to encourage others which can be seen by her many acts as part of nonprofit organizations such as No Barriers USA and work for “Music: Not Impossible” with Not Impossible Labs which was named one of TIME Magazine's Top Inventions of 2023. She has released 5 studio albums and a book "Sensing The Rhythm." Her heart is to help others achieve their dreams by encouraging them to “Try” and move forward as a community.
Leo Samaniego

PROJECT ADVISOR
Leo Samaniego (he/him/his) is a Deaf Filipino American born and raised in Southern California. He graduated from California State University, Northridge in 2012 with a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology. He has been employed by the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works as an Office Engineering Technician for 5 years. Outside of work, he loves to spend time with family, explore new foods, play video games (currently engrossed in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), watch and play sports, and collect NBA/NFL digital moments.
Amber Galloway

PROJECT ADVISOR
Amber Galloway consults and coordinates a multitude of projects in the music and entertainment world. She is a Hard of Hearing music performance interpreter and her life’s work has been in the entertainment field, creating music interpreting standards and changing the common perspective of what music access means to Deaf and Hard of hearing individuals. She is the owner and operator of Amber G Productions.
Derrian Tabilin

PROJECT ADVISOR
Derrian Tabilin (they/them) is a Pilipinx hard of hearing signer from Riverside, California. They're currently a PhD student attending the University of California, Riverside where they study intersectionality and identity development among Deaf and hard of hearing individuals and its impact on mental health outcomes. Alongside being a cultural consultant on the advisory board, they are involved in the Deaf community in various ways including being the ASL Club Advisor and part of the Deaf Education Task Force at UCR, and a representative for the Southern California Asian Deaf Association (SCADA).