Weekend Puzzle #123

Only 10 days left until pre-orders start going out for Alibi in Ashes! We can now count on our fingers the days until you can download your pre-ordered game.

On to a quick weekend puzzle, I'm sure you could solve this in a matter of moments. Our lead QA tester was able to get it in 25 seconds. ;)

Have a great weekend!
~Little Jackalope~

A Breather After Pre-Order Launch

Today, a few of us can take a breather after launching the pre-orders yesterday. Now we can sit back and relax, and skim over everything to make sure no problems arise. (I'm sure there won't be any issues). Alibi in Ashes is only getting closer by the day. We have 11 days left (including today) before the game starts shipping on the 10th and you can download. (Eleven days?! Wow that's not much time at all!)
We are thinking of offering another desktop wallpaper featuring the art from Alibi in Ashes. I can't decide between a few options. Take a look at our screen shots and let me know which is your favorite. ;)

Tomorrow's the weekend puzzle!
~Little Jackalope~

Alibi in Ashes: Pre-Orders Are Live!

The clock is ticking. Every five minutes we check the time. A smidgen closer. Two hours left...one hour left...15 minutes left...we need to remember to breathe...*breathe in*. Need to make sure every thing's ready. Test the page, test the links, check the art, make sure it's all there.
Tick-tick-tick-tick.....DING!

It's finally time to pre-order Alibi in Ashes! Place your order before October 12th to receive the BONUS Edition and be entered into the CEO-4-A-Day contest.

We've been preparing for this moment for a while now, and are super excited for the release (I've probably said this at least three times recently). Here's a snapshot of our next newsletter..coming very soon.
Are you ready for a new game? Are you ready to play as Ned, Bess, and George? Whoo-hoo!! Alibi in Ashes is getting closer to the hands of all those detectives out there!

~Little Jackalope~

The Box Has Arrived...

We got the sample box sleeves the other day for Alibi in Ashes! See here:

They are shiny and embossed...going to look great on the shelves!
Besides admiring box art, we've been competing against each other on a mini-game we've been working on. This one keeps a score, and it's a lot of fun to play against people you know. I can't give away much about it, but someday you will get a chance to play.

Twitter quote contest tomorrow!
~Little Jackalope~

GirlFest! 2011

On Saturday many of us went to GirlFest! 2011 over in Seattle where we had a booth showcasing our games. We had six laptops with minigame demos for them to play, our big TV playing trailers from our last 5 games, buttons and magnifying glasses to give away, games for sale, and hourly raffles giving away our collector's tin. We had a lot of fun, and a lot of girls (plus a few guys) learned about Nancy Drew! Here are some pictures (for the complete set of pictures, visit our Facebook page, we will have those up sometime soon).

~Our booth, all set-up before the crowds come in.~

~Girls playing Nancy Drew for the first time. The dress-up avatars from SAW were most popular~
~A few fellow Her workers giving out raffles and showing the Shadow Ranch app~

Looks like the weekend puzzle was solved successfully! Here's what you do: [Play the Alibi in Ashes official trailer. "Scrub" over to the times listed. Pause the video. Count the letters you see on that screen from top to bottom, left to right.] The answer you get is [Pre-orders begin Monday]. But sadly the date was pushed back, so the puzzle answer is now incorrect >.<

Until tomorrow!
~Little Jackalope~

Alibi in Ashes: Pre-orders Delayed

Due to circumstances beyond our control.  We regret to inform you that we will need to delay the launch of the Alibi in Ashes pre-order period until 5pm PT on Wednesday, Sept. 28th.  Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.  We truly appreciate it as we work towards ensuring a seamless pre-order experience for all our fans.

-The Her Interactive Team

Weekend Puzzle #122 + Proofs

Yesterday we received our proofs for the fancy box cover design of Alibi in Ashes, which will have sparkly foil on the BONUS Editions that go out for pre-order. Look here!

~Proofs for the strategy guide~

Also, have you read the latest Letter from the CEO? Head over to learn about the update to our digital store.

On to the weekend puzzle!
0:40 #13
0:02 #4
0:02 #8
0:26 #2
0:08 #3
0:13 #6
0:29 #3
0:29 #2
1:08 #1
0:29 #1
1:51 #4
0:40 #9
0:08 #4
0:13 #3
1:37 #33
1:08 #3
1:37 #5
1:52 #1
1:48 #10
1:48 #5

Good luck sleuths!
~Little Jackalope~

ASH Screenshots!!

Some of you found the clue hinting to today's special: Alibi in Ashes screen shots have been released!! Check them out and learn more about River Heights and the game on our screen shots page. This one's my favorite:
This is a day for more treats here in the office. Today we celebrated two of our artist's wedding by having red velvet cake and cheesecake, yum! (And congrats to the awesome happy couple!!)

I've got a few more pictures to share with tomorrow, when the weekend puzzle goes up. Stay tuned!

~Little Jackalope~

Getting Ready for GirlFest

We've been preparing for GirlFest! 2011 this Saturday. It's an event for girls and their families to come and check out companies, products, have fun, learn, and try new things. We attended last year, and will again this year. I've been scavenging around the office for things to take with us Saturday. Let's see, I've got:

• Collector's Tins
• Games
• Little display holder for the games
  
• Buttons to give away
• Big Nancy poster
• Tape, pens, clips, scissors
• DVD of the game trailers

There's a lot more I need to add to that list. Oh! Perhaps I should bring the camera to take pictures for you. Us in our snazzy Her Interactive shirts. (There are pictures of us from last year on our Facebook page if you'd like to see).

On top of putting together things for the event, I've also been getting ready for more Alibi in Ashes art to display online. See here:
I just had to add that little tidbit in. ;)
~Little Jackalope~

Big Contest! (And us being busy)

It's the super busy season for a couple of us in the office (myself included) and I've noticed how many times I use the word "busy". Note to self: try to avoid using that word for the remainder of the launch season for Alibi in Ashes. Will need to come up with a new vocabulary, what would Nancy say? Distracted? Detained? Engaged? Active? In motion? Hmm...will have to keep this in mind.

Take a look here! It's a bit hard for a camera to pick up, but if you look closely at this white piece of paper, you will see that it is a sample of the embossing for the Alibi in Ashes box.


A HUGE new contest was posted yesterday! Head over to the official page for more details on possibly flying out here to our office and becoming CEO for a day (the best part is meeting me...just kidding.)

I'd better take off or else I won't stop working...I'm super bus-- occupied. :)
~Little Jackalope~

The Latest Post + Official Trailer!!

...Literally! I think this is the latest time I've ever posted on the Amateur Sleuth Blog! (That should tell you how busy we have been).

Let's start with the weekend puzzle. (You solved it quick!) It was a Nonogram, like from Shadow at the Water's Edge. Once you color in all of the appropriate places (that's what the numbers on top and on the sides mean), take the remaining letters and make a sentence in the order they appear.

You get [One stuffed Teddy Bear] referring to [Mr. Woogle Woggle]. Next, look for the 19th, 16th, 26th, and 9th [blog post dates, which were all Friday puzzles] and insert the proper grammar into those answers. I'll give you another day to try it before I lay it all out for you. :)

On to more important matters! This is what we've been busy with:

~Alibi in Ashes Official Trailer!!~

Check it out on our trailers page, and our YouTube Channel! What do you think? Better than the teaser trailer, right? ;)

Look here! This is what a few of us did on Friday; attend the Seattle Chamber of Commerce 129th Annual meeting where Megan was interviewed among a panel on stage, and I got to help participate in showing off our games at our own table!! (So much fun talking about Nancy Drew!)

~Nancy poster!~

~Our lovely table (I hooked up the monitor) :P~

~Little Jackalope~

Weekend Puzzle #121

Happy Friday puzzle sleuths! Today, several of us are going to the 129th annual Seattle Chamber of Commerce meeting, where Megan will speak about Her Interactive and the games, I'm really excited! Perhaps I will show you some pictures next week, if I'm allowed to take them.

On to important matters. Puzzle time!

Click on the image for a larger view.

When you are done, the 2nd is first with a (,) at the end.
The 19th is second with a (:) at the end.
The 16th is third with a (") at the beginning.
The 26th is fourth.
The 9th is last with a (".") at the end.
(All excluding the () brackets).

Good luck sleuths, and have a great weekend!
~Little Jackalope~

Alibi in Ashes Characters

I'm super excited to introduce you to the characters of Alibi in Ashes! Whoo-hoo!! The Character Profiles page is now live with images and descriptions of the suspects and Nancy's friends.

~Deirdre Shannon~

So what are your thoughts on these characters? Whose your favorite so far? How do you like Ned? There have been some updates to Bess and George, do you like them here, or do you prefer them from Ransom of the Seven Ships?

Monday is another big day, we've been working hard this week to prepare for next week, and I'm itching to give more details. You will have to wait until then. o.O

Weekend puzzle tomorrow! Stop by for a little challenge.
~Little Jackalope~

In the Secret Corner

In one big corner of our office, across from the production department, is a collection of cubicles where you can find the "render farm", an old arcade game, packaging boxes, letterheads, envelopes, miscellaneous other storage and a whole bunch of our games! See here:
I made a trip to this secluded corner to fetch a box of our letterheads (nice paper with our logo and contact information) as well as several copies of The Captive Curse, Shadow at the Water's Edge, and Trail of the Twister.

This corner makes for an excellent hiding place...I will keep that in mind in case I ever have to hide something. ;)

Twitter Quote contest is today! The prize this time is a Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon digital strategy guide.
~Little Jackalope~

A Day of Random Gifts

It's not Christmas, or a birthday (well, one of our artists had a birthday yesterday), but we received a few gifts today... OK, so maybe they aren't really gifts according to everyone else, but I like to call them that to make it sound interesting.

Our order of office snacks came in (somebody keeps eating the cookies...). With that same order came several cubicle-sized white boards for the artists to hang up on their walls to doodle, sketch and write crazy ideas on. (Maybe I will spy on them and take a few pics to share with you. I thought I saw a blue jay on one of them.)

Another "gift" came in the mail today. Huge proofs of Alibi in Ashes box prints...with a kick to it! I will have to show you a picture of these later.

This little gift seen below came last week, and we've been playing with it ever since.This is Auggie. You put one of the yellow balls in his mouth (tight and snug), and squeeze him until the ball pops (more like shoots) out. The goal is to knock over those alien sticks. A word to the wise: If you aim Auggie straight up, you are most likely to get hit with the yellow ball in an instant. I would know.

Twitter quote contest is tomorrow! Participate then for a chance to win a digital strategy guide.
~Little Jackalope~

Alibi in Ashes Teaser!!

This is what we've been working hard on last week: preparing for the Alibi in Ashes Teaser!

The teaser is up on our website and also on our YouTube Channel (by the way, I suggest subscribing, it's the fastest way of knowing we have a new video. The official trailer is currently being worked on *wink*).

More info on Alibi in Ashes was sent out via the newsletter that went out today. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can view the latest in our Newsletter Archive.

What did you think of the cover art? There is a wallpaper for your desktop and phone featuring the cover art of Alibi in Ashes in the downloads page. Check them out!

Looks like several super sleuths managed to crack the weekend puzzle! Congrats! Here's how it was done: First, the numbers are [letters of the alphabet. A = 1, B = 2 and so on]. Once you complete the letters, begin reading them [starting in the middle, then go up one and spiral around until you've run out of letters.] The Xs are to fill in as blanks and do not mean anything. In the end you should read [Authorized search warrant]. Another fun answer, aye? ;)

~Little Jackalope~

Weekend Puzzle #120

Fantastic Friday fun for fans! Yep, it's that time again; time to wrack your brains, gather clues, and solve a puzzle.
We have an exciting week planned coming up, and this is my reminder for you to prepare: if you haven't signed up yet, head over to our home page and subscribe to our email newsletter! If you've missed the older ones, check out our Newsletter Archive. (Are you ready to see some of our secret projects?)

Good luck sleuths!
~Little Jackalope~

Surprising Drinks

Wow, another late post today! You know what that means? We've been working on something exciting. (But I will not spill any secrets until Monday). ;)

A few of us crazies went out for Bubble Tea today. This was my first time trying it, and my thoughts ran to the weird concoction that Renee made up for Nancy in The Legend of the Crystal Skull. Remember how it was green and Henry Bolet Jr. told her not to feed Nancy any more of it? Kind of a scary thought, not knowing the contents.
This tea wasn't as bad as that thought, though. I suggest you try it if you haven't. Nancy's always trying new things, that's how gutsy she is, and I hope to always be as brave as her.

Weekend puzzle tomorrow! Stay tuned for another cryptic answer. :)
~Little Jackalope~

Otters!

Yep, we crazies at Her Interactive get excited about little things, except this was big to us: Otter sighting!! Yesterday afternoon someone looked out the window and called out for those us working late (guilty me) to come to see the excitement. Here's what we saw by the river:
Mama otter (on the right) and her two babies were rolling around getting a dust bath. They would toss and turn in that mound of dirt until the mama and one baby decided to return to the water. The second baby hung out for a bit longer, his face was so cute when he stopped to realize he was all alone. (He soon returned to the water where was was rejoined with the family).

I'm thinking we should have otters in a game. We've had pesky squirrels (more than once), cute fish and an Orca whale, iguana, two parrots, several dogs, a real cat and a robotic cat, horses, mice, prairie dogs, snakes, spiders, hornets, an alligator, vervet monkeys... hmm, am I missing anymore? Otters are too adorable, I wonder how we could work one into the story...

~Little Jackalope~

Learning How to Make Forgeries!

I'm just teasing about the post title. I really mean that we are learning how to make copies on our new copy machine. See here:

~New copier on the right~

We are replacing our old machine on the left with that intimidating big one on the right, which is still wrapped up in the picture. It's pretty big and a little complex-looking, but I intend to show it who's boss and master it's tricks. >.< I just hope it doesn't sense fear...o.O

Looks like the weekend puzzle was solved right quick! Some of you found all of the correct words that fill in the blanks, which are from the tag lines of the games. Missing words: [Island’s, Spin, Train, Who, Rein, Clues, Venture, Dark, Secrets, Find, Go, Lines]. The numbers are meant to [count the letters from the start of the full sentence].

The end answer should be this: [In the station]. Another puzzling answer, aye? Guess I will just have to be even sneakier with the next one. ~.^

~Little Jackalope~

Weekend Puzzle #119

Hooray it's Friday! One of my favorite days of the week, I get to boggle your minds with another perplexing puzzle...

Here you go!

Plunge into danger to bring a mysterious _______ secrets to the surface! = 35

Take a ______with danger to unravel the mystery of a ghostly merry-go-round! = 9

Catch this ________ -- it’s your ticket to solving a century-old mystery! = 10

Discover______ –or what – is behind the mysterious accidents in a house full of secrets! =10

Take a wild ride into terror and trickery to _______ in a ghostly secret! = 38

Hunt for ______ on the trail of a pack of phantom hounds! = 12

_________ into the past and outwit a criminal before time runs out! = 4

Delve into _______ legends lurking in the shadow of an old English mansion! = 11

Expose buried ________ and catch a thief red-handed! = 18

Follow ancient clues to _______ Marie Antoinette’s legendary secret! = 22

_____ undercover to save daytime TV’s biggest star from danger lurking in the wings! = 2

Read between the ________ to expose a killer! = 17


Good luck super sleuths! And have a great weekend! (Three days for many of you, and I'll be playing The Haunted Carousel). ;)
~Little Jackalope~

Hot Tip: Spy on the Designer!

Our writer stopped by my desk to give me a hot tip: go and take a picture of what the designer is doing. o.O Always up for a little spying adventure...especially ones that involve a camera....I quickly headed to the other end of the office where I found this:
Cathy had a huge whiteboard propped up on her desk next to her computer! This looked pretty intense! On it was written/drawn a layout of our next game. This mapping is what connects every puzzle, conversation, cinematic, and inventory availability of the game play. Without proper organization and mapping, the game would have several story, puzzle, conversation, and other glitches, or bugs as we call them.

I can't wait to see how the mystery plays out! I hope to get another peak at it in these next few weeks. ~.^

~Little Jackalope~