What if your next gaming session could actually help save a dog or a cat? That’s the idea behind Critters’ Breakout, the first video game designed to directly fund animal shelters—all while keeping players hooked on fast-paced, survival-style gameplay.
Photo: Big Infinity Manila
Critters’ Breakout is developed by Big Infinity Manila, a studio with Hollywood roots and a Filipino heart. The game lets players earn Critter Coins that can be donated to real animal shelters, such as PAWS, AFK, and Pawssion Project. When you give in-game, the studio converts those donations into real cash for each organization.
“We’ve actually embedded a forward-thinking funneling system into our in-game economy,” Donavan High, founder at Big Infinity Manila, told WhenInManila.com. “Players earn Critter Coins, which they can use to donate to the shelters of their choosing, and those turn into real cash for the organizations.”
The team has also added special shelter-themed skins, with proceeds going directly to partner shelters. Even scattered across the game are details about local rescue groups, turning playtime into both fun and awareness.
A Filipino-led cause
Before setting up shop in Manila, Donavan and his team worked on major titles such as Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and Westworld for Marvel, Netflix, and Disney. But after years in the big studio system, they wanted something more personal… and purposeful.
“We loved those projects, but it’s nothing like making your own,” Donavan shares. “We came to the Philippines originally to shoot a movie with an A-list artist here—a female vigilante story—but after a few bumps with production, we decided to focus on games first.”
That decision led to Critters’ Breakout, now just weeks from launch, and a team anchored by Filipino leadership, including CEO Lali Saulo and COO Albie Afan.
“People here are go-getters,” Donavan adds. “The country is full of creatives who really want to push barriers. I’m grateful to have the tools and experience to help bring these stories to the main stage. I even consider myself an unofficial national.”
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Though often compared to Fortnite and Dead by Daylight, Critters’ Breakout aims to build something bigger—a connected “Critterverse” that rewards players for doing good, and eventually, helps them create income opportunities of their own.
And this is just the start. Big Infinity Manila is already developing its next major project, Ecean: Prince of the Crescent Realm, a massive new fantasy game inspired by Filipino lore and focused on saving nature, set to debut its demo on Steam in November 2025.
“It’s deeply tied to who we are as a company—creating art that connects to real-world causes,” Donavan says. “We think games can inspire action, and we’re here to prove it.”
Because for Big Infinity Manila, it’s never just about building worlds. It’s about changing one.
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