Stuffed Fables: Meet the Dreamer
The Stuffies are sworn to protect the little girl
The Dreamer who Dreamed
Mommy cried a little that day when Daddy took the crib apart. The little girl felt strangely sad too when she watched Daddy pack the crib away in the attic. But she was a big girl now, and this was a big girl’s bed.
Her parents tucked her in, and Daddy stroked her hair while Mommy, with a lump in her throat, sang a sweet bedtime song. When they tiptoed away, they left the bedroom door cracked open, and inside the room everything grew still. The little girl’s breathing slowed. The kitty clock on the wall tick-tocked.
Hello, and welcome to another preview of Stuffed Fables. Each week we will highlight a small portion of the Stuffed Fables world to give you an idea of what the game is all about. This week, we are looking at the girl and the timeline if the story.
The Little Girl
In Stuffed Fables, players take on the role of a stuffed animal who comes to life at night to protect a little girl from the dark forces that would meddle with her sleep, but who is this little girl and what is her story all about? Let us take a look...
Milestones
Each story in the Stuffed Fables AdventureBook, represents a milestone night in the little girl’s life. These are nights where sleep may be challenging, such as the first night sleeping in a big kid bed without the crib for protection, or the first night sleeping without a diaper, or the night before the first day of school.
It is on these nights that Crepitus, the King of Nightmares, likes to send his minions to scare a child. Children’s tears give him power, but what Crepitus doesn’t count on is the loyalty and diligence of the team of heroic stuffies who guard this particular child.
The Every Child
The girl in Stuffed Fables is intentionally enigmatic. Players never learn her name, and very little of the story is directly about her. Instead, players learn about the hopes and concerns of her parents, as they fret over various milestone nights in their daughter’s life, where sleep is of the utmost importance but stands the likeliest chance of being disrupted. These are the typical concerns of every parent or anyone who has ever cared for a child, and will be instantly familiar.
The girl’s name is never mentioned. By not identifying the girl, players are likely to use their imaginations to conjure an identity that is more personal. We envision players giving her an identity, or even naming her for themselves.
The Years Go By
The stories in Stuffed Fables span the girl’s life from age 3-10, and players learn about the girl through the interactions of the stuffies that represent various aspects of her personality. At the end of each story, players will be directed to an ending. A good night's sleep produces a good ending, but a troubled night's sleep will yield a different ending – and perhaps one not as desirable. In this way, players feel like each night has an impact on this girl’s emotional development, and coping skills.
Players are also impacting the nightmare land. As they progress through the story, they are shaping events in Crepitus’ dominion, gradually unveiling the true motivations of the nightmare king, and helping the poor lost and broken toys he rules over. There’s a contrast between our world and the world Crepitus rules, but also a familiarity, and players will find many ways to connect these ideas, and apply the lessons to life.
You too can endeavor to bravely protect the little girl, when Stuffed Fables becomes available this December.
|
Posted by Callin Flores |
 |
