Bad Kingdom is a poetic video work where three characters, Robin in Taipei, Swan in Tokyo, and a mysterious Crow, recall the early days of the multiplayer game Fly Like a Bird. Created by Gamevial and released in 2009, Fly Like a Bird was a simple yet beloved online game where players controlled birds flying across various landscapes, building nests, raising chicks, and interacting in a shared digital world. Its multiplayer mode fostered a vibrant community, blending playful mechanics with meaningful social interaction, a nostalgic emblem of early internet culture. Over time, the game evolved with new species, environments, and hazards. But as its popularity grew, players began exploiting vulnerabilities in its system.

Through its interactive Ren’Py visual story and comic book format, Bad Kingdom reflects on the memory of this lost virtual space. It weaves a meditation on early internet nostalgia, the fragility of digital communities, and the violence and beauty of online worlds.

Script and Direction - Morgane Billuart Camera - Morgane Billuart Robin - Liu Wei Chen Swann - Coco Consultation and Additional Art Direction - Coco and Viktor Eichler Renpy Design and code - Viktor Eichler CGI Characters - Viktor Eichler Technical Game Support - Viktor Eichler, Martin Eichler, and Hans Nikolaus Schmidt Fly Like a Bird Game Support - Raven Wood Community and Kouga Typography advice - Studio Jim Fontana Typography - Epkaisho and Apple Symbols

Alcest - Circe Poisoning The Sea Alcest - Sapphire Les cadeaux dans le coffre - Crème&Parfum and Sugar Red

Thanks to AFK, the Institute of Network Cultures, and Metalabel.