Yee-Ha Cowboy - I'm off to SXSW

Representing accessible innovation and no-code game creation at SXSW

A fun way to share a serious milestone: we’re heading to SXSW to showcase accessible game creation

Visual Description:

Clay-style animated cowboy riding a brown horse in a colourful western scene. Behind him is a large SXSW sign and stylised desert elements including cacti, buildings and figures. The image feels playful and celebratory

Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along that doesn’t just open a door, it opens a runway.

I’m honored to share that I’ve been selected by Innovate UK to join the GBIP cohort heading to SXSW in March.

To win a place on a program designed for the UK’s most ambitious innovators is humbling. But more than that, it’s a reminder of why we build.

We build because creativity deserves better tools.

We build because accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought.

We build because the future of games, and the future of storytelling, belongs to everyone, not just the few who can code complex engines.

SXSW isn’t just a conference. It’s where ideas collide. It’s where the world glimpses what’s coming next.

And this year, I’ll be there representing Red Nought with Baldr Engine, showing that accessible, no-code game creation isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the next revolution.

This is one small win, and one giant step toward a world where anyone with a story can build a game.

Onward.

John Thornewill

8th December 2025