Amazing Monster!

It all started in 2019 when I met Jo, the head and heart of WOWL, an immersive Swiss production house 🇨🇭. Within minutes, it was clear: Jo is a force of nature—equal parts passion, energy, and boundless curiosity ⚡. He also has a dog named Shina 🐶 (who, for reasons unknown, decided that my lap was the perfect place to snore and drool through most of our meetings).

We bonded over our shared love for interactive storytelling, deeply moving experiences, and unexpected game mechanics. And then, out of nowhere, Jo hit me with the challenge:

💡 “What about a fishing game?”

Now, I don’t fish. 🎣 I respect fish, I admire fish, but I do not fish. But Jo’s excitement was infectious, so we dove in. What if fishing wasn’t just about catching fish? What if it was about memory, loss, and facing the monsters that lurk beneath the surface—both real and metaphorical?

I teamed up with the great Allison Crank 🎮, an incredibly talented UX designer, to shape the game’s flow and interactions. She even followed Jo on an actual fishing trip to learn from the masters 🎣 (spoiler: not a single fish was caught, but we got great material for the game).

From there, the story took shape:

Emma, our protagonist, returns to Neuchâtel, Switzerland 🇨🇭 one year after her father and brother mysteriously vanished while fishing on the lake. The only clue? Her brother’s last words:

🗣️ “If I ever disappear, catch the biggest fish. I’ll be inside it.”

So, armed with a fishing rod and pure determination, Emma sets out to find the truth, one cast at a time.

But the lake? It’s not normal. The fish are monstrous, the waters hide secrets, and the line between reality and myth blurs with every cast. 🌊🐟👀

Visually, we wanted Amazing Monster! to be gorgeous, eerie, and surreal. So, we assembled a dream team:

🎨 Yann Boyer and, later, BAFTA-winning director Milan Baulard led the art direction, creating a world that feels equal parts cozy and unsettling—like a bedtime story that might not end well.

🎶 The music? Composed by Mathieu Alvado, the same musical genius behind The Empire of the Ants 🐜🎼. He crafted a score that shifts between whimsical adventure and deep, emotional intensity, guiding players through the twists and turns of Emma’s journey.

🎮 The development? That’s where Small Creative came in. Partnering with WOWL, they built a solid vertical slice in March 2023—proving that yes, you CAN make an emotional, story-driven fishing game.

In Amazing Monster!, every cast is a choice, every reel-in is a revelation, and every fish caught tells a story.

💡 Instead of just pulling random fish out of the water, players must listen, observe, and solve puzzles to figure out where and when to fish. The game rewards patience, curiosity, and exploration rather than just reflexes.

Each fish caught isn’t just a trophy 🏆—it’s a memory. Some will bring answers, and others will raise more questions. And, as the game progresses, the real monster Emma is chasing might not be in the water at all.

The game has already secured funding from the CNC and Cineforom, with the Geneva International Film Festival 🏆 providing space and support during its development phase. The love for this project is real, and it’s just waiting to become a full-fledged adventure. Do not hesitate to request direct access to the build from the producers!

Would I have ever imagined writing a story-driven fishing game? Absolutely not.

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat. 🎣💙✨