A mystery awaits in Arthurton. Underneath the small-town exterior, secrets and nefarious goings-on simmer and surge, never quite rising to the surface. That is, until mother of preteen super-sleuth Jenny LeClue is accused of murder. Armed with her wits and her flashlight, LeClue must delve into Arthurton’s shadows and clear her mother’s name.

So begins the latest project from Joe Russ, the game developer behind the independent studio Mografi. Inspired by the choose-your-own-adventure genre, Jenny LeClue is a 2D mystery/adventure game where players direct LeClue in her explorations, collecting clues and evidence, evading suspicious characters and uncovering new mysteries in the search for the truth behind Arthurton.

With fantastical settings and characters, samples of Russ’ work on LeClue have already garnered mention from national game-review outlets such as Kotaku, Joystiq and Rock, Paper, Shotgun, as well as being labeled a “Staff Pick” on Kickstarter.

“I’ve always been a gamer and I love adventure games and story-focused games,” said Russ. "I’m very passionate about visual storytelling, so if I can combine those, that’s ideal. And that’s what Jenny LeClue is.”

Russ hopes to release the story of Arthurton in an episodic fashion, doling out the story in chapters, each serving as a standalone story in itself, but also as pieces of a larger mystery. To keep players engaged between chapters, Russ plans to end certain episodes on a cliffhanger decision, letting users determine LeClue’s path and thus the starting point for the next installment.

Interactivity was key to Russ’ plans for the game—LeClue’s world should feel as full to the player as it does to her. Each location and character will have multiple points of interaction for players, who are rewarded for their curiosity with new information, background and animations. It’s a lot to explore, but beautiful animation and delightful voice-acting make it all worth the while.

But making a video game is a lot of work for one person, and costly. Russ turned to Kickstarter to fund the project and returned to Ringling for the manpower. Previously a professor at Ringling in the Motion Design department, Russ was sure of the talent he could find, but admits he had another motivation.

“The students are super-talented and there’s not a lot of resources here in Sarasota for the students to hone their skills professionally,” said Russ, who spent 10 years in New York working with big names such as Disney, CNBC and Reuters. ”I wanted to bring my professional experience to the students and also give them a chance to be really hands-on with a project.”

Disappointed at the lack of opportunities and the subsequent talent drain as they flee for tech-Meccas elsewhere, Russ began a summer mentorship program, bringing students into his studio to get some real world experience. He hopes to use this project as a jumping-off point for a larger Mografi presence and an example for other tech-related companies. 

Sydney Weiler, a rising senior at Ringling with experience in Computer Animation and Illustration, spent this summer working with Russ on LeClue, alongside two other Ringling students. Weiler agreed as to the dearth of opportunities for grads in Sarasota.

“It’s really sad that there aren’t more [opportunities],” said Weiler. “You’re here being trained and you’re learning, but then everyone’s aiming for a bigger company elsewhere. There isn’t really anything local to aim for.”

Her experience working with Russ this summer on LeClue, however has been a rewarding endeavor, she says.

To learn more or support the project, visit the Kickstarter page