CURSES
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Curses considers queer as a verb—queering magic, systems, expectations… part of the queerness of magic is in its fluidity… Letting rules be flexible means that Girl gets to perform magic in whatever way works for her. She uses magic to gain clarity into her own thoughts, feelings and wishes, finding ways to control something that otherwise feels chaotic. The methods used are very individual.”
Xtra Magazine
“Killjoy has put a lot of loving research and care into making Girl’s dark and gritty ‘90s have an authentic feel, emphasizing the isolation of the early internet era, the political moments most relevant to Girl such as riot grrrl and D.I.Y. zine culture, and the materiality of media”
Paste Magazine
“Killjoy Games… cook up quite the supernatural adventure, but with a side of dark humor. CURSES is a hand drawn point-and-click game about teenage angst, feelings, and navigating the rocky road of self definition.”
Indie Game Fans
“CURSES is the angsty, witchy, ’90s-inspired video game your teen self would have loved.”
The Mary Sue
KILLJOY GAMES, 2022 (Steam, itch.io)
CREATIVE DIRECTOR/FOUNDER
I oversaw all elements of development from pre-post-production. Leading a six-person team, I shepherded CURSES from initial story concept and sourced full financing for production. I conceived of its novel emotion-based branching narrative implementation, outlined all story beats, created the characters and determined their voice, and wrote and implemented all dialogue in engine.
Additionally, I did biz-dev and collaborated in crafting all marketing materials.
A Tale of emotions & potions
CURSES is a story-rich, hand drawn, 2D, point-and-click game with multiple magic mechanics mini-games. Set in the 1990s and packed with nostalgic—often goth—references, you play as Girl, a 16 year old with dark feelings and major troubles. The game features a novel branching narrative system based on emotions. With the help of a cynical cat familiar and a sprinkle of magic, players navigate Girl’s physical and emotional world and ultimately decide: should she curse everyone or care for herself?
We are proud to announce that CURSES won the National Bank Special Prize in the 2021 Ubisoft Indie Series competition.
You can grab our press kit here.