Playstation leverages Dexter to power text-based games on Facebook Messenger for their leading franchises.

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I had the pleasure of working with Digitas and Playstation to create text-based versions of the games God of War and The Last Guardian. The games were core pieces of award-winning campaigns, and built specifically for Facebook Messenger.

Game design always began with an initial discovery to understand the story arcs and end goals for the activation. We would then educate on best practices in messaging, and offer thoughts on ways we could create compelling gameplay in a text-based environment. 

The next part of the process involved mapping complex user flows. In the instance of the God of War experience, we were inspired by classic MUD (multi-user dimension) games like Zork and Colossal Cave Adventure. We would use a comparable dimensional and orientational framework to guide gameplay, allowing users to navigate a world where each direction, call out, and answer led to a new discovery. Those that were able to successfully complete the game were rewarded with eight original pieces of artwork by Mondo.

The Digitas and Sony teams brought the experience home with truly exceptional content, creating a gripping experience that sent millions of messages within just a few days. The game became the top entertainment app on Facebook Messenger, and helped lead God of War to becoming the most pre-ordered title in two console generations.

You can play God of War: A Call from the Wilds here.