With the release of The Haunting at Wicker Ridge – Hunt A Killer’s first collaboration with paranormal investigation stars, Sam and Colby – we wanted to go behind the scenes on what goes into making a great collab. We thought, what better way to do that than a quick Q&A with our Director of Content, Adam Mueller?
Adam Mueller has been with Hunt A Killer for nearly a decade. As the brand’s first hire, Adam has written many, and touched all, of Hak’s 50+ titles. Adam was the writer and show runner for The Haunting at Wicker Ridge.
How many people have you murdered?
I’m not at liberty to discuss that.
Ok, how many characters have you murdered with Hunt A Killer?
At least a dozen.
Without giving away the secret sauce, how do you go about making a Hunt A Killer game?
We have a really talented team of game designers, graphic designers, and editors – a bunch of creative folks that come together. I bring a seed of a story and as a group we work to let it blossom into a Hunt A Killer game.
Was that any different for Wicker Ridge? How was it working with the Sam and Colby team?
It was a little different than our traditional cases. There was more creative collaboration with another team. It was fun talking to those guys - they know what they are doing and had a lot of great suggestions about incorporating demon hunting into the case, and they’re really excited about creating something that is fun for their community. All in all the process was overall similar to how we make all of our games great, just with an extra set of hands in the kitchen.
In the game, players are trying to help a character named Lana rid her house of a demon infestation. How did you come up with that scenario?
You know I don’t know exactly. It kind of grew organically. We didn’t start there. Honestly started with the idea of a haunted house. Which is obviously where Sam and Colby shine. The thing about haunted houses that you have to remember is they weren’t always haunted - they became haunted. So there’s a story there. And that story involves the people who lived there.
Were there any other stories that you and the Sam and Colby team were considering for this game?
Yes. We started with 3 or 4 I believe. We had one about a priest and a possession. And there was one that went all the way back to the original 13 colonies, and we explored an idea about a haunted house attraction that was actually haunted. But I don’t want to give too many details, because we may use those stories in the future.
Ok. So what’s the back story for Wicker Ridge?
So Lana’s great aunt Julia went to Wicker Ridge when she was young - in the 1920s. To join an artists collective that was based there. That’s where she discovered a talent and mysticism that was very popular at the time. You would have traveling mystics going around the country performing on stage - telling fortunes - communicating with ghosts in the afterlife. So if you consider what if all of that was real, you’ve got the basis for a really great haunted house. Then all you need is the inciting incident.
Ahh. What’s that? What is an inciting incident?
The inciting incident is the thing that starts the action in a story. It’s like the big bang of the plot. So for Julia, she was having fun one day, doing a spirit board reading, with her friends, at the artist collective, at Wicker Ridge, when she accidentally made contact with the demon. No matter what questions they asked, the demon responded with “Neck.” And later that night, Julia’s best friend Rita was dancing, at the top of the steps. She slipped, fell, and broke her neck.
Ok. That’s spooky and tragic. How does that bring us to the present day investigation?
That day was the day the demon was able to enter Julia’s world. And over the course of the next few decades, it would haunt her, as she lived her life at Wicker Ridge. And when Julia died, under mysterious circumstances, she left the house to her great niece Lana.
And this is where Sam and Colby and the player come in?
Exactly, Lana has been experiencing some unexplainable phenomena. And it’s the job of Sam and Colby and the player to investigate and banish the demon from Wicker Ridge.
How are players supposed to do that exactly?
Without giving it away, I can’t tell you. But, giving a little away, they will follow Sam and Colby’s investigation into the house, pick up clues, and read into a lot of physical evidence, like Julia’s diary, to come up with the true name of the demon.
That sounds awesome. How involved were Sam and Colby in making this game?
So, from the beginning, we had some initial conversations to draw on their expertise to come up with a story. So we knew that the story would make sense to their fans. They gave us ideas on what kind of equipment paranormal investigators might use. The history and lore surrounding the paranormal. And really, the type of overall experience they wanted their fans to have.
Is there equipment in this game?
Yes. From the beginning we knew we wanted to have some sort of paranormal investigation device. And Sam and Colby were really excited about that. We have a “ghost comm” which operates like a spirit box to communicate with the “other side,” if you will. And with the story being about a demonic infestation that began in the 1920s, we wanted a spirit board planchet as well. And we came up with some fun ways to incorporate those things into the game.
So is this game scary?
Depends. Are you afraid of the unknown? The supernatural? Things that go bump in the night?
I am, actually. So, what is your favorite part of The Haunting at Wicker Ridge?
I think my favorite part is the story of Lana’s great Aunt Julia, and her investigation of the house, and Julia’s diary. There’s a little love story there, a subplot.
Do players get to see Sam and Colby in the game?
Oh yeah. We have ten minutes of exclusive footage of them exploring the house in the game. And they have a special message at the end for players who get the answer right.
Are there any other moments in the box that stick out as particularly cool or spooky?
Well, we have a moment in the game where players perform a ritual with some water and an automatic drawing that was performed by Sam and Colby at the Wicker Ridge house. I don’t want to spoil it but it feels pretty magical.
Would you make another game like this in the future?
Totally possible! We have a ton of other ideas for ways Sam and Colby can bring paranormal stories to life but for now we should focus on getting that darn demon out of Wicker Ridge.
Well I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Thank you for taking time out of your day to talk about The Haunting at Wicker Ridge.
No problem, it was my pleasure.
The Haunting at Wicker Ridge, featuring Sam and Colby, is available now.