Award-Winning "Mayan Mysteries" Game Releases Exciting Conclusion

After a yearlong cliffhanger, Dig-It! Games and FableVision released the conclusion of Mayan Mysteries. Now, I don’t think of myself as an archaeology buff, but after seeing the exciting finale in the hunt for the ever-elusive looter, Ladrone, I might have to revise that statement.

This week I had the opportunity to play through the final chapter of the award-winning adventure game, and it’s FULL of new features. With two new levels, three authentic Mayan excavation sites, three new types of puzzles, the L.E.A.R.N In-Game encyclopedia, and even a cool fan-created character—Archaeologist Anna—I couldn’t help but be blown away!

From a player’s perspective, these new additions really capture your imagination, and pull you in as a fellow archaeologist. Whether I was constructing temples or exploring secret chambers, the games made me feel like I was in Central America searching for the mythical city of Ich’aak.

But full disclosure: Even though the games are geared toward middle schoolers, I have to admit I struggled to solve them as a college student. Evading looters and finding lost cities requires learning Mayan math and deciphering glyphs. But although they are challenging, the games and animations were too fun to give up on.

Mayan Mysteries is available as both a free demo and full version in the iTunes app store! And should you catch the archaeology bug, Dig-It! Games also has an addictive stand-alone app game, Can U Dig It! (also developed by FableVision), where you can continue to excavate and explore as your favorite Mysteries characters.

Editors note: since this post was published, Mayan Mysteries has been reviewed by a few bloggers. Hear what they have to say! 

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Choose Your Own Fable with FableVision

It’s finally spring (thankfully), which means it’s high time to shed those coats and get outside for an adventure! Here at FableVision, we’re celebrating the way we know best—through story. Growing up, some of our favorite books were from the Choose Your Own Adventure series. It only seems right, then, that we celebrate with a CYOA of our own…a Choose Your Own Fable, if you will.

You may remember our #tellmeafable Twitter campaign last spring, so in a similar fashion, we are looking to YOU to collaborate with us on a Twitter-style, original adventure fable!

To start our fable, we need ideas. From now until April 15, tweet us at @FVStudioBoston using #CYOFable with any and all ideas for a great adventure. We’ll compile the tweets and select our favorite.

Our FableVisionaries will move the story along, but the direction the story takes is entirely up to you! We’ll write a pair of tweets that will present three choices, and the most favorited and re-tweeted will become the adventure’s path. If that sounds confusing, fear not! It will look something like this: 

1/2: Finn loved to fly kites. One day, a big gust took his kite. It landed in a tree! He climbed up, but it was gone! Instead he saw…#CYOFable

2/2: What did Finn see? A) flying squirrel B) mama falcon C) Clyde, the pterodactyl. Favorite or tweet with #CYOFable to decide Finn’s fate!

But better yet, when FableVision tackles a new project, our team comes up with not one, but several concepts for how a project should look; a key to our Define and Design phase. As the #CYOFable ventures forward, our art interns will get to the drawing board to show you how they imagine the fable in their own unique styles. Each illustration will feel different, but together they'll bring (y)our story to life!  

So grab your compass, canteen, and creativity! Let’s Choose Your Own Fable! 

FableFridays: Production Assistant Jordan Persson

You’ve probably never met Jordan Persson (that’s pronounced “Pearson,” not “Person”), but if you’ve watched FableVision’s animations or played one of our games, you’ve heard him. Jordan is FableVision’s (humble) musical talent.

“I'm definitely not a musical genius,” Jordan said. “I initially joined the team for video production/editing. As producers heard that I enjoy making music as well, they asked me to do more and more audio work on projects.” 

From custom sound effects to original music, Jordan’s compositions are the icing on the project. MMMMM… icing. For April’s FableFriday feature we chatted with Jordan about music, food, and film.

Bring us back to a young Jordan, how did you start with music?   

My parents made me take piano lessons from around age 10 to 14, but I thought of it as a chore and didn't pay attention to any of the music theory, then quickly forgot everything when I stopped taking lessons. Around 16 or 17, the game Guitar Hero inspired me to get my own guitar, which I taught myself to play (poorly). From there, I branched out into re-learning piano, buying a used drum set and creating electronic tracks on my PC.

Let’s talk about your favorite project you’ve developed music for – what makes it so special?

That'd probably be Geniverse. We did a motion comic to tell a story about a girl befriending a dragon, and I got to create a short, looping piece of music for each panel. I ended up creating some fun challenges for myself, like using different instruments to represent different characters, and reprising the protagonist's beginning theme in the last panel. It was the first project I had a lot of creative freedom on, and also the first project where it really sunk in that somehow, it was now my JOB to create dragon-adventure music.

Take us through the process of writing and producing original music for our clients’ products:

First, I chat with the project’s producer about what direction they or the client want to go in – what genre or instruments they want, etc. Then, I sit down and create several snippets of music in Logic Pro, and chat with the producer again about what they think works best. After that, I either flesh out the one they like, or start over.

Now, we've heard you are in a band!?! Tell us about it.

In college, a few friends and I called ourselves Break Stuff Steal Things. We played chiptune music with electric guitar/bass and vocoded vocals... kind of like Anamanaguchi, but with lyrics. One of the other members recently moved to Boston and wants to start playing shows again, but I'm trying to finish our first full album before getting back into playing live.

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More about Jordan

We know you love junk food, but what’s your favorite healthy snack?

Celery, carrots, broccoli, apples... Whatever's handy, I'll eat it.

Favorite song at age 14: 

Can't remember, but I listened to a lot of Barenaked Ladies around then. I guess it was a good influence – Steven Page is a really clever songwriter. BNL isn't the same without him.

Favorite song now:

Trying to choose a favorite song is like trying to choose a favorite moment in life – there are a ton of them that have made me feel awesome in unique ways... and there are still so many that I haven't experienced yet.  I'll grab one of my faves out of the air, though: “Classy” by Kenickie. When I'm walking around the city on a bright day and that comes on my headphones, I feel like I can fly.

What’s the best movie score out there?

There are a lot of great ones out there, but I always love the Back to the Future main theme (plus, though this is more soundtrack than score, the “Johnny B Goode” scene is still one of the most awesome examples of Rock Music In Cinema). Oh, and the Cloud Atlas score had a GREAT recurring motif. Really tied the thing together beautifully. It's a shame that one didn't get recognized at the Oscars last year.

And the best video game score?

That's another toughie! A video game's score can complement the game in so many different ways... Silent Hill 2's music really sold the melancholy and claustrophobia of its setting despite sounding totally gorgeous, for example, while Journey's score managed to invoke different moods from curiosity to excitement to confusion to contentment all the way through. Then, you've got games like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Sunshine/Galaxy that make everything sound so fun and vibrant. Pokemon Red/Blue's music has a special place in my heart, too... but it's hard to tell how much of that is purely nostalgia.

If you worked in another industry what would it be?

The film industry would be satisfying (I'd hope!).

If you could wake up tomorrow and play any instrument, what would it be?

Voice. I've always wanted to be passable at singing, but I'm too embarrassed to try exercises or practice.

Listen to Jordan's original music  featured in the FableVision animation for Discovery Day Academy. 

What was on YOUR lunchbox?

Adweek magazine recently published its Kids Issue, with series of articles about children and advertizing. One piece focused on kids' exposure to ads. There was also a great profile on kids' television mastermind Fred Seibert; an article on finding the next big kids tv show; and a piece about the biggest young stars of YouTube. But our favorite article was a peek at the brands featured on kids' lunch boxes these days. At FableVision, we remember when your lunchbox was a big part of your identity as a kid. So we polled the audience! We asked the studio what was on THEIR lunchboxes when they were a kid and people had some great memories (and photos!) to share.

Now we ask you: What was on YOUR lunchbox? Let us know! We're loving these retro brand pics.

Bob Flynn, Director of Art and Animation Transformers

Bob Flynn, Director of Art and Animation Transformers "This is the one I remember the most, I had a few others. I was a cold lunch kid for a long time—well into fourth grade.

When I did my Bravest Warriors comic book over for New York Comic Con, and I wanted to channel a washed out (no yellow) '80s space color scheme—I subconsciously/consciously (didn't actually reference it on purpose) channeled the color scheme from my lunchbox. Including the pink burst and chrome-ish lettering. Weird how similar they are looking at them together."

Naomi Greenfield, Creative Strategist Annie

"I had this lunchbox and loved it to pieces. Literally.  I wish I still had it!"

Ryan McNulty, Developer and Game Designer Return of the Jedi

Ryan McNulty, Developer and Game Designer Return of the Jedi "This one was my favorite.  I wish I still had it!"

Renee Kurilla Zulawnik, Lead Artist Care Bears and Popples

"I have a pretty vivid memory of two lunch boxes: CareBears and Popples."

Brian Grossman, Technical Director Hardy Boys Mysteries

Brian Grossman, Technical Director Hardy Boys Mysteries "I definitely have memories of my Hardy Boys Mysteries lunch box. I can distinctly recall raising my hand in my velour shirt, corduroy pants and bowl haircut, asking Ms. Martin, the cafeteria aide, to help me unscrew the Thermos that my mom screwed on too tightly."

Taryn Johnson, Production Assistant The Little Mermaid

"I had this The Little Mermaid lunch box, with a matching Thermos!"

Matt Bargar, Senior Developer The Muppets