Mine Tales
Inspiring the Next Generation: How Roy Hill Used Gamification to Spark Curiosity in Mining with Mine Tales
“An incredible outcome and more than we could ever have imagined.”
Elisa Llarda, Operations Manager / Project Lead, Western Health
Mining is one of Australia’s most important industries, but it can be a hard sell for the younger generation. How do you take something as technical and process-driven as mineral extraction and make it resonate with school-aged children? That was the challenge Roy Hill brought to us at Viewport XR when they needed a standout experience for their booth at the Resource Technologies Showcase (RTS) in Western Australia. This three-day event is one of the region’s premier showcases of modern mining and resources, drawing students from across the state with the goal of igniting their interest in the industry and – if all goes well-recruiting future talent.
But standing out in a crowd of flashy displays and interactive tech from every major mining company is no easy feat. Roy Hill needed more than just a good idea. They needed something educational yet fun, something memorable that would spread like wildfire across social media, and something that wouldn’t just attract attention, but also hold it – briefly. With only a few minutes to capture the imagination of each student before they rotated to the next booth, every second counted. To make matters more interesting, we had only six weeks to conceptualise, design, build, and deploy whatever solution we proposed.
Mining is one of Australia’s most important industries, but it can be a hard sell for the younger generation. How do you take something as technical and process-driven as mineral extraction and make it resonate with school-aged children? That was the challenge Roy Hill brought to us at Viewport XR when they needed a standout experience for their booth at the Resource Technologies Showcase (RTS) in Western Australia. This three-day event is one of the region’s premier showcases of modern mining and resources, drawing students from across the state with the goal of igniting their interest in the industry and – if all goes well-recruiting future talent.
But standing out in a crowd of flashy displays and interactive tech from every major mining company is no easy feat. Roy Hill needed more than just a good idea. They needed something educational yet fun, something memorable that would spread like wildfire across social media, and something that wouldn’t just attract attention, but also hold it – briefly. With only a few minutes to capture the imagination of each student before they rotated to the next booth, every second counted. To make matters more interesting, we had only six weeks to conceptualise, design, build, and deploy whatever solution we proposed.


From the very beginning, we knew the game needed a mascot, something lovable and silly that would resonate with kids. Enter “Rocky,” a cheeky animated rock who would guide players through the mining process. Rocky wasn’t just a character – he became the face of the game and, by the end of the project, something of a celebrity in his own right. Kids loved him, Roy Hill adopted him, and he turned into a de facto ambassador for the company’s youth engagement efforts.
With Rocky at the helm, we began designing the core gameplay around the actual mining cycle, broken into digestible mini-games that each represented a key part of the journey from pit to port. The trick was to capture the essence of each mining step – blasting, extraction, crushing, sorting, washing, and shipping-and translate it into a game mechanic that was easy to understand, quick to play, and, above all, fun.
From the very beginning, we knew the game needed a mascot, something lovable and silly that would resonate with kids. Enter “Rocky,” a cheeky animated rock who would guide players through the mining process. Rocky wasn’t just a character – he became the face of the game and, by the end of the project, something of a celebrity in his own right. Kids loved him, Roy Hill adopted him, and he turned into a de facto ambassador for the company’s youth engagement efforts.
With Rocky at the helm, we began designing the core gameplay around the actual mining cycle, broken into digestible mini-games that each represented a key part of the journey from pit to port. The trick was to capture the essence of each mining step – blasting, extraction, crushing, sorting, washing, and shipping-and translate it into a game mechanic that was easy to understand, quick to play, and, above all, fun.

We also knew that kids are naturally competitive and love to share their scores, so we built a robust scoring system that added depth to the experience without overcomplicating it. Players earned points for speed and accuracy, and their final score would convert into items manufactured from the processed ore – everything from bicycle frames to skyscraper beams. To amplify the fun and broaden the reach, we created a live leaderboard that aggregated scores across all devices. This wasn’t just about beating your own high score; it became a competition among attendees, a feature that encouraged repeat play and helped generate organic buzz.

We also knew that kids are naturally competitive and love to share their scores, so we built a robust scoring system that added depth to the experience without overcomplicating it. Players earned points for speed and accuracy, and their final score would convert into items manufactured from the processed ore – everything from bicycle frames to skyscraper beams. To amplify the fun and broaden the reach, we created a live leaderboard that aggregated scores across all devices. This wasn’t just about beating your own high score; it became a competition among attendees, a feature that encouraged repeat play and helped generate organic buzz.
The execution phase was tight but focused. Our team pushed hard across design, development, animation, and QA, pulling late nights to make sure everything was polished and reliable in time for launch. When the day finally arrived, Mini Mine made its debut in front of a bustling crowd of students, educators, and industry leaders-and it did not disappoint.
Roy Hill’s booth became one of the most talked-about installations at the Resource Technologies Showcase. Students lined up to play, drawn in by the bright visuals and animated Rocky statues stationed around the exhibit. Parents and teachers appreciated the educational value beneath the surface-level fun. The simplicity of the gameplay meant that no instruction was needed – kids could pick it up and play immediately, making the booth flow efficiently and keeping wait times short. This was critical given the time-limited nature of the event and the constant stream of visitors.
The execution phase was tight but focused. Our team pushed hard across design, development, animation, and QA, pulling late nights to make sure everything was polished and reliable in time for launch. When the day finally arrived, Mini Mine made its debut in front of a bustling crowd of students, educators, and industry leaders-and it did not disappoint.
Roy Hill’s booth became one of the most talked-about installations at the Resource Technologies Showcase. Students lined up to play, drawn in by the bright visuals and animated Rocky statues stationed around the exhibit. Parents and teachers appreciated the educational value beneath the surface-level fun. The simplicity of the gameplay meant that no instruction was needed – kids could pick it up and play immediately, making the booth flow efficiently and keeping wait times short. This was critical given the time-limited nature of the event and the constant stream of visitors.


For us at Viewport XR, the Roy Hill Mini Mine project was more than just a job well done – it was proof that with the right concept and execution, even industries as complex as mining can be transformed into something that delights, educates, and inspires. We took a late-stage brief, a short deadline, and a demanding list of requirements, and turned it into a highly successful public engagement tool. It was an outcome we’re proud of, not only because of the attention it garnered, but because it showed what’s possible when creative technology meets purposeful storytelling.
For us at Viewport XR, the Roy Hill Mini Mine project was more than just a job well done – it was proof that with the right concept and execution, even industries as complex as mining can be transformed into something that delights, educates, and inspires. We took a late-stage brief, a short deadline, and a demanding list of requirements, and turned it into a highly successful public engagement tool. It was an outcome we’re proud of, not only because of the attention it garnered, but because it showed what’s possible when creative technology meets purposeful storytelling.
