What you get with every game

A cast of characters, and the guide that introduces them.

Every game we build comes with a Game & Character Guide: who the hero is, who's chasing them, what the power-ups do, where the levels are, and exactly how players earn their rewards. It's the handout for your staff, the press kit for your launch, and the reason customers start talking about "the cat game" by name.

Below is the guide we made for Lion Run, the first game out of our studio.

Game & Character Guide

Lion Run

15 levels across Minnesota · 10 characters · 8 power-ups · a discount ladder to 15% off

Built for a Minnesota hemp company · 12-page PDF handed to the client at launch

What's in a guide

Three things your team needs on launch day.

The cast

Portraits and one-line bios for the hero, every enemy and the boss, rendered straight from the game so they match what players see.

The rules

What each power-up does, how scoring works, what ends a level. Short enough that a barista can answer a customer's question between orders.

The rewards

The exact reward ladder, how a player unlocks each step, how your staff recognizes a real unlock, and the fine print your lawyer already approved.

Lion Run · The cast

The hero, and everyone who doesn't understand him yet.

Nobody in Lion Run gets hurt. When the lion roars he's sharing what he knows, and that's what sends the chasers back to the office. Every character was built for the client's story; yours will be built for yours.

The hero

The Lion

The client's real mascot, big white mane and all. Runs, jumps, bumps blocks, grows when he finds a nug, and roars to share a little wisdom with anyone in his way.

Enemy · Levels 1–15

The Prohibitionist

Top hat, protest sign, fears what he doesn't understand. Hop on his head and he says "Oh. It's not that bad."

Enemy · Levels 3+

The Inspector

Clipboard first, questions later. Roar some wisdom at him and he heads back to the office. Do not stomp the clipboard.

Enemy · Levels 7+

The Flying Inspector

Same inspector, now with a jetpack. Hovers over the Skyway so the player has to time the roar.

Enemy · Levels 5+

The Officer

Patrols the riverfront and writes citations. Lose a life and the screen says "Cited." Learns fast once he hears the roar.

Enemy · Levels 9+

The Agent

Still fighting a plant. Use cover, roar when he's close, and he teleports back to headquarters with a new perspective.

Enemy · Levels 10+

K-9

The only chaser who jumps. Fast, low, and very good at sniffing out a player standing still.

Hazard · Lake levels

The Walleye

State fish, bad attitude. Leaps out of the water on Lake Street and at Duluth Harbor. Watch the ripples.

Hazard · Como Park

The Loon

State bird, dive-bomber. Circles once, then comes straight at you. Duck or roar.

Boss · Level 15, part one

The Big Talker

An invented windbag in a black suit who talks over everyone. Three hops on the head and he's out of order.

Boss · Level 15, part two

The Compliance Machine

The final boss. Stun it with a roar, stomp it while it's dizzy, repeat. Beat it and the policy changes.

Ally · Levels 6+

The Mushroom

A flying ride. Hop on and glide over the gaps; it takes the hit if something gets too close.

Lion Run · Power-ups and pickups

What's worth grabbing, and why.

Collect every one

Leaf Coin

10 points each. 42 coins is an extra life. Every coin on a level plus the finish line is what unlocks the discount.

Grow

The Nug

Bump a block, chase it down, and the lion grows. Big lion takes a hit and shrinks instead of losing a life.

Longer roar

Flower Power

Doubles the range of the roar and adds a shockwave. Lasts until the next hit.

Zoned

The Gummy

A few seconds of calm: nothing can touch you, the music softens, and the colors drift.

Hype

The Brownie

Speed boost. Faster run, higher jump, shorter roar cooldown while it lasts.

Licensed

The License

Fully licensed means nobody can cite you. Walk straight through the inspectors for ten seconds.

Extra life

Hotdish

You bet. One extra life, hidden on the harder levels where you'll need it.

Level end

The Store

Every level ends at the client's storefront. Walk in the door and the level is cleared. Collected every coin? The reward unlocks here.

Lion Run · The rewards

One percent per level, up to fifteen.

How a player unlocks it

Collect every leaf coin on a level and reach the store. The reward panel shows the new percentage and a code that works at the client's online checkout. Progress is saved in the player's browser, no login.

How staff recognize it

The code format is fixed and printed in the guide, so a cashier knows a real one on sight. One code per customer, online store only, no end date. The guide carries the same fine print as the game.

1%Lvl 12%Lvl 23%Lvl 34%Lvl 45%Lvl 56%Lvl 67%Lvl 78%Lvl 89%Lvl 910%Lvl 1011%Lvl 1112%Lvl 1213%Lvl 1314%Lvl 1415%Lvl 15

The levels are real places: Grand Avenue, Banning Avenue, Lake Street, the Skyway, the Lowertown tunnels, Como Park, the Capitol, the Fairgrounds, University Avenue, the riverfront, Nicollet Mall, Duluth Harbor, and a hearing in the Rotunda. Customers recognize their own street. That's the point.

Your game gets the same treatment

Four casts we've already sketched. Yours is next.

Each of our example games already has a hero, a patrol enemy and a chaser. A real engagement starts here and goes further: your actual mascot, your actual street, enemies that make sense for your business, and a guide that introduces all of them.

Coffee shop