Agenda

Creative Directors Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart share how their years at Telltale Games led to the founding of AdHoc Studio and the creation of its debut title, Dispatch. Using the game as a case study, they'll discuss how they approached building a story-driven experience that satisfies longtime fans of the genre while still welcoming players who never thought they'd play one. Along the way, they'll cover how they worked to evolve a beloved genre, keeping what worked, rethinking what didn't, and bringing in new ideas in structure, agency, and a visual-first production pipeline.

Takeaway

Attendees will learn how to assess and evolve an established game format, and gain practical insight into balancing innovation with production realities when building on a proven foundation.

Intended Audience

Game developers, creative leads, and studio founders. Familiarity with cinematic branching games is helpful but not required.