Independent game and animation studio in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Made frame by frame.

BTDYA is an independent game and animation studio in Addis Ababa, run by Tewodros Basie. Characters that move like they mean it, and a first game on the way.

See the work See Backhand
    Close portrait of the boxer, looking down
    Elf warrior in three-quarter profile
    Extreme close-up of red eyes and freckled skin
    Key art from Backhand: one fighter slaps the other mid-turn

    Fighter animation setCharacter animation, 2024

    Games

    The studio's first game is in development, in Unreal Engine 5.

    Release
    20 April 2027
    Players
    Two, local
    Platform
    PC, on Steam

    Two fighters. Arm's length.
    Whoever flinches loses.

    A local two-player slap fighting game about timing, distance and reading the person in front of you.

    Open the game page

    Selected work

    Character animation, game animation and character art, from personal projects and studies.

    Fighter animation set

    Character animation, personal study, 2024

    Walk, run and a heavy bag combination on one rig, kept consistent in weight and momentum across the set.

    Boxer

    Character art, 2025

    A real-time boxer taken from sculpt through texturing, hair and final lighting, down to her boots and kit.

    Mech animation set

    Game animation, personal study, 2024

    Walk and firing loops for a hard-surface mech, timed around mass rather than muscle.

    Elf Warrior

    Character art, 2025

    Sculpted and textured, with the detail carried by skin, fabric and worn metal rather than silhouette alone.

    Forest short

    Character animation, personal study, 2024

    A stylised forest sequence staged to carry the shot on performance rather than cuts.

    Character study

    Character art, 2025

    A darker study, built to push skin, hair and eye detail at close range.

    Five letters, five people.

    BTDYA is built from the names of my family, in order.

    Every letter is hidden in the mark. Pick one to find it.

    I'm Tewodros Basie, and the studio is me: game development, 3D, animation and creative direction.

    One game in development, Backhand, and a small amount of client work chosen to fit around it. More about the studio

    Work with the studio

    A few projects at a time, so each one gets proper attention. Open to new work.

    Start a conversation
    Character animation
    Performance, locomotion and combat animation for characters and creatures.
    Game animation
    Engine-ready sets, built to your rig, naming convention and export spec.
    3D animation
    Cinematics, trailers and short-form work outside of gameplay.
    3D art
    Character modelling, sculpting and texturing, for real-time or rendered output.
    Game development
    Prototypes and gameplay feature work in Unreal Engine 5.

    Tell me what you're building.

    Project enquiries, collaborations, or questions about Backhand. Replies within a few days.

    ArtStation
    teddybtsk
    Instagram
    @btdya_studio

    Telegram is the fastest way to reach me.