Anthony Valterra, Lisa Brunette, and Dexter Woltman at the Riot Games office in St. Louis, back in 2019.

By Lisa Brunette

I’m thrilled to announce three promotions within our team this year. First is Dexter Woltman to a lead role, taking responsibility for our core creative crew. In this young industry, Dexter’s practically a veteran at this point, having completed his first Brunette Games assignment as a freelancer back in 2018, when he was simultaneously studying scriptwriting at Webster University. It’s been personally gratifying to have recognized Dexter’s potential in my game design classes and then watched him make a real name for himself as a game writer and narrative designer. He’s been integral to Brunette Games’ success.

In addition to that key promotion, Anthony Valterra is now chief operating officer. As my husband as well as my right hand, Anthony has been a terrific partner through this now seven-year indie adventure. We all continue to admire how well he wears various hats, whether that’s contract guru, payroll whiz, or creative consultant. We rely on his past experience in both brand and grant management, and we appreciate the color he brings to our table reads with his distinct character voices.

Lastly is my own move to chief executive officer. I’ve known faux “CEOs” at tiny startups who attempted to fill those shoes too early on, and mainly by default. But as the studio’s sole owner, I believed it was important to create a real career path for myself, and I wanted to earn that title––which I did, over seven years. While I never set out specifically to become a CEO, as I saw the opportunity to create and lead a dedicated team of interactive storytellers, I naturally advanced into it. My strategic vision for Brunette Games has held us in good stead as we’ve grown since 2016, having designed, written, and continued to support the narratives on 36 released client titles and counting, for some of the greatest studios in the industry, including the world’s best-known IPs.

Here’s a round-robin Q&A featuring those of us in new roles.

Dexter Woltman, lead writer | designer. This pic prompted a teammate to say, "Remember us little people when your modeling career takes off."

Dexter Woltman, Lead Writer | Designer

What can clients expect from working with Brunette Games?

Clients can expect top-of-the-line service from industry professionals—both veterans with decades of experience and rising standouts with an exceptional knack for storytelling. With a focus on teamwork, we deliver quality narrative design with an always-fresh perspective. We work hard to ensure our clients are satisfied, and top-performing titles like Merge Mansion and Sweet Escapes showcase the utmost dedication we bring to a project.

What's one of your favorite stories in a TV show, movie, or book?

My favorite movie of the last year is “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” It's a satisfying, character-driven story that doesn't get lost in the shuffle of its multiverse hijinks. With powerful performances and top-notch writing, it mixes humor and emotion with spectacular set pieces. Ultimately, it's a story about acceptance—and I think we can all learn a little from it.

COO Anthony Valterra, sporting a sweatshirt emblazoned with the classic brand he once managed at Wizards of the Coast.

Anthony Valterra, Chief Operating Officer (COO)

What's your favorite thing about working for Brunette Games?

Getting to see a game we have worked on find its audience and be appreciated. We’ve worked on a number of indie titles that performed above expectations. That is always very satisfying.

What does a perfect day look like for you?

A project completed, followed by a new project coming in. It is always a joy to see a project completed. And it is always exciting to see something new coming in the door!

CEO Lisa Brunette, who started the whole thing.

Lisa Brunette, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

What makes Brunette Games’ work so valuable to clients? 

Without expert narrative input at the concept stages, I don’t think Lily’s Garden and Matchington Mansion––two of our most well-known efforts––would have become the hits they are today. Our clients get a lot of bang for their buck working with us, and we don’t even charge royalties on any of these games, which earn millions of dollars a month.

What’s a surprising/interesting fact about you? 

I’ve been writing for 30+ years, and I was a journalist prior to finding a home in the game industry. I interviewed a lot of quirky characters, including the designer of the Batmobile! For that I got autographed photos of the car for my two brothers, who were both mechanics at the time.

Join me in congratulating Dexter and Anthony on the promotions, and a shout-out to our clients, who make our work––and their games––possible.

By Sara Hardin

Television history was made in 1994 when Rachel Green entered the Central Perk in her sopping wet wedding dress on the pilot episode of Friends. “The One Where Monica Gets a Roommate” turned the expectations for portraying a wedding on its head—instead of the glitz, glam, and giddiness typically associated with the Big Day, Rachel left her fiancé at the altar after realizing she didn’t truly love him. Thus, Rachel is thrown into the ragtag group of friends the world quickly grew to love.

Weddings and romance—happy endings or otherwise—are an excellent way to develop characters in any narrative, and casual game stories are no exception. Multiple developers—most notably, our own client Metacore—have even capitalized on the failed-wedding trope for themselves as part of their marketing, and there’s little doubt as to why; the idea of a love turned sour is compelling. If we’re immediately asking, “Why? What went wrong?” then the content has already hooked us.

Grandma Ursula comforts Maddie in this ad for Merge Mansion.

While there’s plenty of room for gossip and drama in casual game narrative—in fact, it’s something we at Brunette Games are constantly encouraging our clients to explore—the same can be said for happy and healthy relationships. Watching a romance grow from nothing to a-lot-more-than-something is hugely rewarding for audiences. A great example of this type of relationship development is seen in The Office between Jim and Pam. By the time they shared their first kiss, viewers who had been around since the beginning were crying happy tears (and maybe I’m projecting since that was definitely my experience… but I don’t think I’m too far off). Their friendship turned forbidden-crush turned passionate-romance is a hugely successful representation of the art of the slow burn. The payoff continues as we watch them get engaged and eventually married, and their relationship arc remains one of the most enjoyable parts of every rewatch for longtime fans.

“I thought they'd be good together, like PB&J. Pam Beasley... and Jim. What a waste. What. A. Waste.”

Even if a game’s narrative leans more “playful comedy” than “mysterious drama,” the potential for exploring budding romance remains. In Redemption Games’ Sweet Escapes, the diva poodle Cherry and cantankerous hyena Buzz are an adorable representation of when opposites attract. They even get engaged and married, a development that was warmly received by long-term players. This kind of relationship growth has huge payoff for games with hours upon hours of gameplay: If the audience is dying to see if a romance is going to go somewhere exciting, they’re eager to continue playing to find out more.

Sweet Escapes fans root for the unlikely romance between Cherry and Buzz.

In addition to romance in general, we think mature romance deserves more time in the spotlight. In ZiMAD’s Jigsaw Puzzle Villa, side character Emilio starts the game having silently pined after Valentina for years. Valentina, heart shattered by a disastrous marriage to an unfaithful man, takes some time to come around to Emilio’s affections—but when she does, she’s ready to embrace the quality of love she’s always deserved.

Twenty-somethings aren’t the only people falling in love, and they certainly aren’t the only ones playing mobile games—all the more reason to make space for this type of romance in our narratives. This is an area of representation that often gets overlooked. We occasionally find a sense of reluctance to explore the dynamics of existing marriages and long-term relationships in our stories, which feels like a missed opportunity; these situations lend themselves to drama just as often—if not more—than a new, blossoming romance. The conflict in these instances is often more nuanced, less petty, and complicated by years of intimate connection. The interest in these storylines doesn’t have to taper after the wedding bells have rung.

All this to say, we hope to see more opportunities for weddings and multi-faceted relationships in our future. The appeal, charm, and heartstring-pulling potential can’t be overstated—happy ending, or otherwise.

The not-so-annual Clam Fest returns to Quahog!

By Dexter Woltman

An all-new celebration is coming to a shore near you! Join the residents of Quahog in celebrating Clam Fest, a brand-new, time-limited event in Jam City’s Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. Written in collaboration with the writers of the hit TV show, Brunette Games brings plenty of mollusk-themed shenanigans to the wacky world of Family Guy that fans have grown to love. 

Inspired by a classic episode from the TV show, the event’s storyline follows Mayor Wild West as he runs a themed festival called Clam Fest to boost the town’s revenue. Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff has always used golden clams as a means of currency in the game, but now we bring them to the forefront.

Are you tired of the word ‘clam’ yet? I’m not!

With support from the talented team at Brunette Games, I designed this new event for Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff. But what not everyone may know is that I’ve been waiting to pitch this event for years, and it all goes back to a unique—if not outright weird—obsession: clams!

Storytelling has always been a passion of mine, and when I was a kid, clams stood out to me for their peculiar form. It was fascinating for me to think a shell could be alive. I wrote short stories titled “Planet of the Clams” and created a 12-part series of animations. These videos followed the clams’ inevitable takeover of the world and included lovable favorites (of mine) such as the Clampocalypse and infamous Clamzilla. Trust me; if there’s anything I’m good at, it’s making clam puns.

These childhood stories acted as a springboard for what would eventually lead to a career in narrative design. They helped me realize how much I enjoyed writing stories with exciting worlds and engaging characters. Growing up, I drew comics, made games, and wrote books. It all led me to a major in scriptwriting at Webster University, where I met the one-and-only Lisa Brunette—later, I joined Brunette Games.

Since entering the game-writing industry, my passion for clams hasn’t waned. In fact, Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff isn’t the only title where I've featured clam-related storylines! To start, there’s Redemption Games’ Sweet Escapes, where the lovable cast of characters deals with a clam infestation during the second season.

Joy faces the giant clam in Sweet Escapes!

The clams pop up all across Dessert Island, and the bunny Joy and her friends must find a way to deal with them before they take over their sweet shops! Normally, clams aren’t a key interest for target demographics, but Sweet Escapes drives it home with its quirky antics guiding the way. It became a beloved storyline in the second season, and received positive feedback from players!

Redemption Games supports the clam storyline with incredible world design. They created unique clam assets to scatter around the island, including some which players could interact with by tapping on them.

But the fun doesn’t end there! When designing the storyline for Gear Inc.’s Animal Island, we featured Shelly, a soft-spoken clam. Over the course of the game, she takes a central role in protecting the island from a swarm of locusts.

With Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff, Sweet Escapes, and Animal Island, I had exciting opportunities to incorporate my unique interests into my professional work. Continue following Brunette Games, and you’ll be sure to find the occasional clam reference or two. And check out Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff’s Clam Fest! The time-limited event runs through August 24th, 2022.

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