Finnish MiTale brings quantum computing into commercial game development
Finnish independent game studio MiTale will showcase its upcoming post-apocalyptic role-playing game C.L.A.Y. – The Last Redemption at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne this week.
C.L.A.Y. – The Last Redemption is a story-driven role-playing game set generations after the collapse of civilization. Behind its distinctive story world lies something still highly unusual in commercial game development as MiTale is exploring how quantum computing can become part of the game itself.
Quantum computing techniques are being explored as part of the game’s narrative and procedural systems, with quantum circuit simulations influencing story dynamics and contributing to the generation of environments and selected visual effects.
MiTale has a long history in R&D with quantum numerical simulations, especially with Qiskit by IBM, while its longer-term goal is to integrate real quantum hardware into game development as the technology becomes increasingly accessible. Rather than using quantum computing simply as a technical showcase, MiTale seeks to demonstrate how this emerging technology can enhance player-centered design practices to provide truly unique experiences in each gameplay session.
“Quantum computing is often discussed in terms of science, finance or optimization, but we are interested in what happens when you give this completely different kind of computing technology to game designers and storytellers,” says Natasha Skult, Founder and CEO of MiTale. “With C.L.A.Y., we want to explore whether quantum computing can help us create even more immersive experiences for our players, where each player decision and style of gameplay can affect the game worlds, narrative structures and experiences in real time, that would be difficult to approach in the same way with conventional tools.”
From IBM research to commercial game development
MiTale's work with quantum-powered games dates back to 2019, when Skult began exploring with then-IBM Research quantum scientist James Wootton how quantum computing could be applied to game worlds, characters and gameplay systems. The collaboration led to early quantum experiments with C.L.A.Y. and MiTale's work integrating IBM's Qiskit technology with the Unity game engine. Since then, C.L.A.Y. development has been shifted to Godot engine for further exploring of capabilities in utilizing not just Qiskit, but other emerging quantum-based solutions that can effectively support game designers and developers.
Wootton is now Chief Science Officer at MOTH, a company focused on bringing quantum computing into games, media and other creative industries. The connection has continued within the international quantum gaming community, and MiTale will be hosting MOTH at its Gamescom stand this week.
“We started experimenting with quantum computing in games years before there was a clear commercial roadmap for it,” Skult says. “The technology is now developing rapidly, and so are the tools around it. Our aim is not to create technology demonstrations, but to understand how quantum computing can eventually become another useful tool for game developers. This is just as graphics processors, game engines and artificial intelligence have become part of modern game development.”
C.L.A.Y. – The Last Redemption will be showcased at Gamescom 2026, August 26–30, in the Indie Area, Hall 10.2, Stand F052g.
More information about the game and it's upcoming community events that MiTale hosts exclusively in their Discord server, can be found here: https://www.clay-game.com/
MiTale has explored quantum games since 2019
MiTale's quantum work extends beyond C.L.A.Y. The studio has participated in research and development projects exploring how quantum phenomena can be transformed into games, interactive visualizations and tools that make the technology easier to understand and use.
As part of the QPlayLearn project, MiTale helped develop Quantum Playground, an interactive experience that visualizes concepts including superposition, interference and the evolution of quantum states. QWiz takes a different approach by transforming an open research problem in quantum physics into a game-like puzzle, allowing solutions created through play to potentially contribute to scientific research. MiTale is also developing Naviqate, a tool designed to lower the barrier between quantum technologies and conventional game development. Its goal is to allow developers to experiment with quantum functionality without first becoming quantum programmers, while connecting quantum systems with familiar development environments including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot and the Ink narrative system.
Skult's work bridges commercial game development and academic research. In March 2026, she defended her doctoral dissertation “Interactive Storytelling with Quantum Computing – Exploring the New Design Practices in Interactive Storytelling Using the Emerging Quantum Technologies” at the University of Turku, Finland. Her research examines how quantum computing could change game design, interactive storytelling and player experiences, with C.L.A.Y., QWiz and Quantum Playground among its case studies.
MiTale is therefore not simply making games about quantum technology. The studio is exploring how quantum computing itself could become part of the tools, systems and creative processes used to make the next generation of games.
Another MiTale game, Willow Guard, continues to expand beyond computers
Released for PC in 2025, Willow Guard is a single-player dark fantasy action RPG combining isometric hack-and-slash combat, deckbuilding-inspired character progression, investigative gameplay, choice-driven interactive fiction and a distinctive cast of anthropomorphic animal characters. Willow Guard is also the foundation of a growing transmedia universe. MiTale is expanding the IP beyond video games through an upcoming board game, graphic novels, digital comics, artwork and other physical creations designed to bring its animal-fantasy world to life beyond the screen.
These new extensions of the Willow Guard universe will be presented in the Indie Area during Gamescom 2026.