Adventure Gamers: So, Martin, aren't you on record as saying your next game would be full of sunshine and daisies and other light, uplifting subjects?

Martin Ganteföhr: Oh yeah, I did say that, and I still stand by it. The weather is actually rather good in 15 Days, and while I'm not sure we have any daisies in the game, I know that we do have an animated butterfly in one scene! I'm not kidding! And seriously, after Overclocked's bleak take on life, I really wanted to work on something that was a little cheerier, had a little more positivity, and had less suicidal characters. That doesn't mean, however, that I've changed my fundamental beliefs on story and conflict. A butterfly in a HoT game will probably always be a rather sad butterfly, with a broken home, leanings to nectar overuse, and an aura of tragedy.

AG: Okay, so no one will ever mistake a House of Tales game with a Walt Disney production. Luckily for us, you've proven yourself very adept at writing these deeper, more mature storylines, and it sure sounds like you have another one in store for us. Tell us about 15 Days.

Martin: Okay. This is a game about three young (– or, actually not-so-young-anymore) activists who act like modern Robin Hoods. While they’re a quite professional and determined bunch, they also have this special kind of naïveté and fun-orientation that is typical for younger idealists. So, the game sees them planning and executing museums heists – but then, strange things start to happen, and the group is beginning to get the uncomfortable feeling that someone is using them. A (seemingly unrelated) police investigation soon brings up connections between the rather lighthearted actions of the group and other, serious political crimes. At some point, then, the situation gets out of hand, the tables start to turn – and while the police are close on their tracks, the group suddenly find themselves confronted with threats from other, far scarier people.

AG: Can you explain a little more about the political subtext that seems to run through the game? That seems like an intriguing twist, but I'm not sure what role it plays.

Martin: It's a little tricky to do that without spoiling too much. The political subtext is there throughout the game as a sort of meta-plot. It touches topics like imperialism, globalisation, and activism. These three young people are, in their own special way, idealists – they're a kind of 'fun guerrilla' in the age of globalisation. But when you're doing stuff that is illegal and politically motivated, it always has the potential to suddenly turn into something dangerous and unexpected. Also, in a globalised world, it's becoming increasingly difficult to identify what's cause and what's effect, who's good and who's evil. It's becoming hard to be on the right side. It's easy to start out with a clear agenda, but you can just as easily end up with all your certainties put into question. This is what the characters experience.

AG: Apparently players get to do some art thieving ourselves. That should appeal to the latent cat burglar in all of us (or maybe I'm just speaking for myself?). What kinds of special gadgets will players get to use to aid us in our life of crime?

Martin: Oh, there's definitely some fun stuff to do: some fingerprint lockpicking, some getting past lasers, hacking computers, manipulating cameras, and toying around with torches and compasses. Also, we've included a pretty cool "internet" feature that lets our trio do research on maps, buildings and background information. There's no Splinter Cell-like gadget extravaganza going on, mind you— but I think what we've included does give the game some sense of being contemporary.

AG: I won't ask where you did your research on the grounds that it might incriminate you. Now, the game's narrative is presented as two parallel storylines. (Only two — you've cut back from Overclocked!) So one follows the three thieves while the other follows Jack Stern. Will the game be fairly evenly split between the two narratives, or is there a particular emphasis on one over another?

Martin: Well, the main story is the story of Cathryn, Mike and Bernard — so they definitely have a lot more screen time. But the two narrative strands converge at some point. I think it creates a nice tension to have the story switch back and forth between them, and it's also an interesting possibility to look at the same events from different perspectives, with different sets of information.

AG: Are all three young people playable during their story, or will we only be in control of Cathryn?

Martin: While Cathryn is the central character of the game – she's the head of the group, after all – Mike and Bernard have their fair share of playable time as well. Mike for instance is a computer nerd, so he does all the computer- and tech-related stuff.

AG: The early press materials emphasize the pace being "action-packed". Does that mean 15 Days will feature an actual dangerous element? Physical dangers, timed sequences and the like?

Martin: No, no, no.

Or — wait. I'll admit that we do have two occasions that are time-critical. But they're so generously timed that we believe most players will make it through them without problems, and yet the feeling of pressure is there, adds to the tension. But of course, you can never actually die, or "lose the game".

AG: You’ve touched on this already, but how much does the game explore the moral ambiguity of playing as thieves? Obviously there's a certain inherent Robin Hood-like justification in stealing from the rich if you're giving to the poor. But still, there's no such thing as a victimless crime, and you are asking players to commit illegal acts. (I mean, even beyond the rampant kleptomania involved in most adventure games, that is.)

Martin: That's one of the central motives in the game. I've never been very interested in portraying 'ordinary' criminals. Greed is a very powerful emotion, but as the sole motivation of a character, I find it rather boring, especially when the character has no self-reflection whatsoever. To me, it's always more interesting to have fundamental conflicts and contradictions within the characters. Breaking the law in the name of justice, doing wrong things to do the right thing, becoming like the people that you criticise – that's the kind of contradiction that creates inner struggle, and ultimately drama.

AG: What's the relevance of the title, 15 Days?

Martin: This would be a major spoiler, but I’ll try to make it sufficiently nebulous: just like in Moment of Silence and Overclocked, the title has a meaning that is central to the game. There’s a very important time element that is revealed at some point of the story, and the title refers to that.

AG: Well, it sounds like another compelling tale from the "house of" same. A game about puppy dogs and fruit-bottom yogurt next time for sure, though, right?

Martin: I promise you there will be puppies. Sad puppies, though. Desperate, lonely puppies. Probably with fruit-bottom-yoghurt overuse problems.

AG: Wouldn’t have it any other way! Thanks, Martin.

Martin: Thank you, Jack!



So now that you've been introduced, click ahead yet again for a closer look at the game's main players.