HBO's Original Series Lets Fans Customise Animal-Like Manifestations with 'His Dark Materials: My Daemon'

To celebrate the launch of 'His Dark Materials' season two, HBO has teamed up with Framestore to build 'His Dark Materials: My Daemon', an augmented reality app for iOS and Apple Watch that lets users discover their very own custom daemon - an animal-like manifestation of one’s inner soul in the series - and takes them on an immersive journey through the world of 'His Dark Materials'.

In the show, daemons are unique to each person. Inspired by this idea, the app features many possible combinations of animal type, skin, fur patterns and personality, each of which is determined after each user completes a personality test upon first launching the app.

As a first-of-its-kind entertainment app with wellness benefits, 'His Dark Materials: My Daemon' brings narrative elements from the show into daily life, encouraging users to participate in activities that contribute to overall mind, body and spirit health with their personal daemon guiding them along the way. Users are encouraged to take part in fitness activities like walking or running, as well as other kinds of self-care, such as taking some time to themselves, watching a movie, or reaching out to a friend. 'His Dark Materials: My Daemon' also integrates with a Watch iOS app to allow users to connect with their daemon through a simplified interface at any time.

'His Dark Materials: My Daemon' fuels rich interactions with each user’s daemon through stunning augmented reality characters designed by Framestore, the creative studio responsible for the BAFTA-winning animated characters seen throughout the 'His Dark Materials' series. Created in Unreal Engine 4, the AR characters are some of the most high-fidelity to hit the platform to date. Users can unlock rewards and share interactions with their daemons to social media feeds in the form of photos and videos that show off their companions.

The app detects everyday activity through Apple Health and Spotify, syncing with favourite fitness, sleep, and meditation apps. Daily habits, hobbies and new challenges become fuel to progress further through the journey that’s at the heart of the app. The more progress that’s made, the happier and healthier your daemon is along the way.

This app can be experienced in three different ways:

In these casual, funny interactions, users tell their daemon how they feel to receive recommendations for personalised activities. Users can connect with their daemon on the Apple Watch, too!

This is where unlocked AR animations come to life. Users can let their daemon explore the world around them, getting creative as they capture photos and videos to share online.

JOURNEY WITH YOUR DAEMON                 

Users of the app can follow the footsteps of His Dark Materials’ characters, like Lyra, by completing a series of curated activities that mirror experiences on the show, connecting with characters including Iorek, Serafina Pekkala, Lee Scoresby, and more.

'His Dark Materials' season one is now streaming on HBO Max. The new season premieres 16th November at 9pm on HBO and HBO Max.

'His Dark Materials: My Daemon' is available now to download here on iOS and Apple Watch devices. The app is also available in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.