An odd thing happened to me this year: I got the Christmas spirit. No, I wasn't visited by ghosts in the middle of the night. I'm actually not sure why it happened. Lisa thinks it's because our son is staying with us this holiday season before he ships off to Navy bootcamp. That might be it. It might also be that I've just reached the age where any reason to feel warm and snuggly is a good enough reason. Continue reading

New Brunette Games client Uken Games, in partnership with Mighty Kingdom, recently released Ava's Manor: A Solitaire Story, to great success in the app stores. Ava's Manor is a decorating game, but instead of a match-3 or collapse puzzle, it's powered by a TriPeaks solitaire game mechanic. A terrific cast of characters and an engaging storyline make this a winner and shows that there is more flexibility in the narrative puzzle genre than you might think. Brunette Games was brought in to consult on the storyline and characters, as well as provide VO, and we're all very proud of the game's performance already. Continue reading

But there is a secret to both of these games: The narrative design was brought in early. No, it wasn’t the case that the narrative designers were brought in first. But in both cases, they were brought in early enough that art assets and game play could be adjusted to the narrative. Those cute little pillows in the Match-3 of Matchington Mansion? They were suggested by the narrative design. Lily’s tragic story in the first narrative cut scene? Created by the narrative designer. Continue reading