The daemons of His Dark Materials are ever-present and unique to each person, so it was important for My Daemon to mirror that individuality and accessibility. Answers to an initial personality quiz determine a daemon’s look and persona, ensuring a bespoke experience tailored to users.

The app is organized into three key features: “Connect,” “Journeys,” and “Play.” Users can “Connect” with their daemon to receive recommendations, based on their mood, for wellness activities intended to improve their health of mind, body, and spirit, such as reading, taking a walk, or calling a friend.

In “Journeys,” users progress through the narrative by completing different wellness activities curated to reflect the actions and personal growth of fan-favorite characters like Lyra, Will, and Iorek.

Daemons come to life through the “Play” feature, where users can leverage world-class AR technology to capture sharable photos and videos of their daemon companions in their real-world surroundings.

The app was designed to layer story elements over everyday interactions with technology. Integration with Apple Health and existing wellness apps, and a simplified Apple Watch UI, ensured progress was tracked seamlessly, keeping users constantly engaged in the world of His Dark Materials.

Daemons are the hero of this app, so stunning visuals and a variety of characters that could feel personal to each user were top priorities. The team crafted a range of “voices” for each companion via alternative script responses that would best resonate with a user's personality.

The AR characters were built using Unreal Engine in ARKit. Five animal forms, four personality types, and five fur/skin variations provide eighty possible combinations. HBO worked with the show’s VFX creator to redesign and optimize assets from the show for use across the range of target mobile devices, ensuring seamless integration without compromising on quality.