Official ‘Family Guy’ artwork

By Dexter Woltman

In my time with Brunette Games, our team has had the exciting opportunity to work on two Family Guy titles for the well-known game publisher Jam City. One of which—Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff—still receives new content from us on a weekly basis! Written in collaboration with the writers of the hit TV show, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff stays true to the show’s characters and often references its many iconic episodes. There’s a lot to unpack in Family Guy’s 21 seasons (and counting), and another writer may have felt the pressure of honoring a decades-long IP; but for me, it’s a dream-come-true. Long before I was a writer for the Family Guy games, I was a fan of the show.

My coworkers say I have an encyclopedic knowledge of Family Guy. It feels like I’ve been watching all my life—and really, I have been! The show recently celebrated its 24th anniversary, making it almost as old as I am. In its latest season, the show surpassed 400 episodes. It’s a milestone achievement, and I’ve watched every installment! I grew up with Peter Griffin and his family’s wacky hijinks, even if the characters haven’t actually aged.

My familiarity with Family Guy started at a young age—too young of an age, some might say. Despite its crude humor, I’ve been tuning in since I was a kid. Sure, my mom tried to stop me from watching it until I was older, but I couldn’t resist youthful rebellion, and I snuck in the occasional episode or two on cable while she was at work. Once Family Guy dropped on streaming, it was game over for my mom. My sister and I watched each episode repeatedly, and we still find ourselves frequently quoting our favorite jokes.

Years later, I began studying scriptwriting at Webster University. I developed my skills writing film, TV, radio, plays, and—most importantly—games. At Webster, I met the one-and-only Lisa Brunette when I attended her course on narrative design. In one of my TV-writing courses, I was instructed to write an original episode for an established TV show. Naturally, I chose Family Guy.

I wrote my own episode titled “The Curious Case of Peter Griffin.” Of course, my skills were less developed back then, and the episode doesn’t compare to the talented writing that comes from Fox. But it was my first attempt at capturing the characters’ voices, and it would later prove a valuable practice when our team was tasked with writing for the Family Guy mobile games. Classic character traits—like Peter’s distaste for his daughter, Meg—are all present.

In “The Curious Case of Peter Griffin,” Peter Griffin becomes a child again, and his genius baby, Stewie, works to restore him to his proper age. It has plenty of hijinks, and it’s one of my favorite pieces of writing—even if I've kept it safely hidden away in the depths of my computer until now. It also highlights the differences between writing for television versus games when I tie in gameplay elements and focus on dialogue to convey jokes rather than the complex animations regularly found in the show.

As soon as I graduated, Lisa hired me on full-time. We got the opportunity from Jam City to work on their Family Guy titles, and knowing my extensive knowledge of the show, Lisa asked me to write scripts. Never did I expect that my childhood obsession would someday be a vital part of my career! Knowing each season of the TV show inside and out has helped me craft exciting events that can tie into fan-favorite episodes, and my familiarity with the character voices is showcased in the games’ dialogue. 

But just like with the show, writing for the Family Guy games is definitely a team effort. Each of us at Brunette Games has lended a hand in shaping the exciting world of The Quest for Stuff, and in fact, all five full-time staff members have taken a turn at writing scripts. With a top-notch crew of narrative talent, we ensure each event is filled to the brim with LOL-worthy jokes. Best of all, no one gets burned out, and we always have a source of fresh ideas.

Having been tasked with the game’s narrative for three years now, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff is one of our longest-running titles at Brunette Games. My experience with the franchise illustrates that if you’re passionate about something, you should never let it fall to the wayside. Personal hobbies may wind up tying into a career in surprising ways. And just like the characters of Family Guy never seem to grow up, I’ll never outgrow my favorite animated sitcom.

You can download Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff on the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Official ‘Jigsaw Puzzle Villa’ artwork

By Dexter Woltman

Who doesn’t love snuggling on the couch with their favorite furry (or not-so-furry) friend? Pets play an important role in our lives, and most of the team at Brunette Games find ourselves fortunate enough to own one. Whether our pets are scratching at a toy, napping beside their owner, or—in my case—trying to crawl on my shoulder while I write, pets are a source of comfort and levity. When we’re designing ways to engage audiences with our games, we often translate that familiar sense of animal companionship into the stories we see onscreen.

Across Brunette Games’ 35 released titles and counting, we’ve featured a wide range of lovable pets. Some of our titles include a more traditional choice when it comes to our characters’ animal friends, such as Tiffany’s endearing-yet-sassy cat in Magic Tavern’s Machington Mansion. But whether it’s a cat, dog, or goat, each takes a unique role in their owner’s life.

When Justine travels to Spain in ZiMAD’s Jigsaw Puzzle Villa, she’s surprised to find the owner of the villa she’s staying in hasn’t given her cat a set name. Much like in Machington Mansion, this allows players the opportunity to name the cat themselves, building a deeper connection between the player and the animal.

Jigsaw Puzzle Villa also brings pets into the forefront of its gameplay by allowing players to solve animal-themed jigsaw puzzles. These adorable puzzles feature dogs, birds, horses, cats, and more!

Traveling beyond Spain, Justine isn’t the only woman in our games who meets animal friends abroad. Even acclaimed actor Jane Seymour sets out on a quest to rescue exotic animals with her loyal pet companions in “Into the Islands,” a time-limited event in Playtika’s Solitaire Grand Harvest.

Sometimes, the roles of pets in our games is even more involved. In Jam City’s Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, the family dog Brian is the (literal) voice of reason. When he’s not busy ranting about politics or his superiority complex, he’s steering the dysfunctional family out of harm’s way.

Speaking of the “voice of reason,” when handyman Emilio’s feeling down in Jigsaw Puzzle Villa, his goat offers him valuable advice like “Bleat!” and “Bleaty! Bleat! Bleat!” Did we mention the goat is also nameable?

But the fun doesn’t stop there. While the goat in Jigsaw Puzzle Villa helps Emilio find himself, the dog in Sparkling Society’s City Escape helps the family in the game find… their rival? City Escape follows the Filburns' move to the countryside, where the parents quickly enter into a feud with their neighbor, Owen Timmons. When the Filburn kids—Ben and Chloe—find a lost dog, they’re surprised to discover he belongs to Owen. They return the dog to his home, marking the first step in healing the relationship between the Filburns and their disgruntled neighbor.

But not every dog who wanders feels lost. In Uken Games’ Ava’s Manor, the lead character is a mystery-seeker whose loyal dog Marlowe joins her on adventures. Marlowe’s larger-than-life presence is felt throughout the game as he points Ava in the direction of clues. Marlowe’s even voiced by our very own Andy Mack, who brings life to the dog’s many yips and barks.

Pets bring out the best in the characters we write. In a way, they’re humanizing and allow our characters to see themselves through the animals’ eyes. Whether you’re a longtime pet owner or admire animals from a distance, our games have four-legged companions for anyone to fall in love with—and these pets don’t require vacuuming loose hair! Be sure to check our Brunette Games’ expanding catalog of titles, where we continually find new animals to add to our growing roster of beloved pets.

Official 'Solitaire Grand Harvest' artwork.

 By Dexter Woltman

Brunette Games can’t refuse a trip to the tropics, and neither can acclaimed actor Jane Seymour, who joins the exciting world of Solitaire Grand Harvest! While the acclaimed solitaire game usually digs deep into the farming lifestyle, this latest time-limited My Farm event sees lead character Jane set out on an exotic quest to rescue animals across a series of tropical islands. Brunette Games helped the committed team at Playtika realize their vision for this exciting adventure, which includes exciting locales like Flamingo Coast and Volcano Reptiles!

The tropical islands aren’t the only thing that awaits players in Solitaire Grand Harvest. Players can complete fun levels of iconic solitaire gameplay and manage a farm of adorable animal characters. With over 10,000 challenging levels, the fun never stops! Jane Seymour couldn’t resist the call to adventure, and we hope you won’t, either!

Official Game Description

Welcome to Solitaire Grand Harvest! Play the #1 free-to-play Tripeaks solitaire game created for online card game fans and discover a new world of Solitaire!

Tripeaks Solitaire is a fun and challenging solitaire card game for all types of players. Play challenging card games online that will train your brain and keep you sharp, or kick back and relax as you enjoy Solitaire Grand Harvest’s beautiful game graphics!

With Solitaire Grand Harvest, you’ll have twice the fun as you journey through your farm, harvest crops, and earn rewards as you play. Advance solitaire levels to build and design the farm of your dreams. Discover exclusive decoration items, and personalize your farm!

Your Solitaire Grand Harvest farm is waiting for you, so come along and join in the solitaire tripeaks fun today. Download this fun and relaxing solitaire game and find out what the farming fun craze is all about!

Solitaire Grand Harvest is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.