Behind the Scenes: Episode 6
This Episode was really fun to make :)
Any time you can take an escape room style experience and take it to the outdoors, it really opens things up.
We had a few hopes for this episode:
We hoped to connect you with Episode 1 through the 4th map piece
We hoped that the outdoor scenery would feel expansive and real-world
And we hoped that the plot twist would keep you engaged and feeling for JJ’s plight
Well, did we accomplish it? Let us know! In the meantime, let’s take a closer look.
MAKE IT REAL
The “real” factor starts with the Ratseltstadt website where you need to enter in Grandpa Alfred’s details.
Some people had a better time with this than others, and why is this? In our estimation, it’s because you don’t get verification of the correctness of each part of your answer. So you don’t know which part is right or wrong.
It’s something that as a game designer we find challenging to strike the right mix: on the one hand, the answer would be “cheatable” if you knew which part of a 3-digit code was incorrect. 9 guesses or less and you’d have the last portion, not needing to have solved everything.
But on the other hand, if you don’t get a clue as to which part of your answer is incorrect, you are left wondering about all of it. Not a great feeling.
So, how did we try and solve this?
We broke it up into three subsections: name, birth date, death date. That way, you only have 3 variables you’re testing against, instead of all 9. We also increased something we call “multiplicity” by having lots of possible entries (days, months, years) it makes guess-and-check methods more laborious.
Still, it’s a real challenge and something we’re always trying to refine and improve upon when we set up a game.
STORYLINE
This storyline finds you at the gravesite where we get the first really good look at Svetlana. She seems hurried, and JJ seems confident, but when things go sideways, he rashly runs off.
That would prove to be a bad call in the end.
Svetlana continues on and finds some important documents left behind in a briefcase that will come in handy for future episodes and JJ makes his way to a secret door.
A few points to mention here. As game designers, we’re looking for authentic ways to send you items that can be “revealed” as a a season evolves. In this case, having the enemy Hunters “leave” something on site is a nice treasure trove of potential documents that you can receive in future episodes.
Also, being able to make a real-world prop like a door, allows us to show you something you’ve never seen before? Why? Because it didn’t exist until this shoot. Take a look:
Truth be told, this “cave” is not much more than a shallow recession in a small cliff face. But we took some old barn board, some rusty decorative tacks from an old couch, and rigged up a set in a park not far from Paul’s old house.
With the right angle, it’s hard to tell just how big and wide everything is. But trust us… it’s not bigger than what you see :)
PUZZLE COMPONENTS
What do you get in Episode 6?
Well, the envelope contains a clue that helps you understand Alfred’s day of birth. We also see some pages ripped out of an old magazine, a strange electrical schematic, the Last Will, and…. a feather.
Why those items?
Well the envelope clue seemed to fit with the storyline, and the magazine pages were something that could be torn out of a stapled binding and feel somewhat “real” with an old-timey look. (I also have a thing for magazine layout and design). The electrical schematic was an idea we had a while back and this seemed like a good place to put it… something with a cool vibe to it, real world, but with a puzzle twist.
Always prototyping! My notebook is full of weird lines, shapes, letters, etc.
The Last Will was purely for storyline and the feather… that’s because we’re constantly trying to think of ways to send you new textures without throwing off our 30 gram limit! Of course, can’t forget, the 4th map piece, harkening back to the very first instalment, but encoded with some new puzzles.
FINAL REFLECTIONS
Looking back, I love the two “bonus puzzles” that fall outside of the scope of the envelope. Some have found that the game gets too digital… but most think it helps to advance the storyline and interactivity. Can we do both in the future? We’re going to try.
The door was really fun to make - finally back in the workshop again! - and the whole episode was fun to shoot. I love it when we can get outdoors!
Speaking of outdoors, here’s some summertime shots of your’s truly outside, enjoying nature in beautiful Alberta, Canada, and reppin’ some Mobile Escape while I’m at it ;)
Thanks for following along,
Eric