Publisher and developer Telltale Games announced its acquisition of the British Developer Flavourworks. The London-based Flavourworks is best known for developing the live-action interactive film Erica, which initially launched as a PS4 exclusive in 2019 before coming to PC and iOS in 2021. The studio’s other titles include the survival game Hush: Crane and the interactive heist movie Cuttlefish.
Telltale CEO Jamie Ottilie explained the company’s decision to acquire Flavourworks in a recent interview with GamesBeat. According to Ottilie, Telltale started following the British studio after Erica’s release. The publisher said it sees a growing demand for deeper interaction with intellectual properties, which Telltale believes Flavourworks has demonstrated a clear talent for.
While Ottilie acknowledged that Erica and Cuttlefish differ from the other games in Telltale’s catalog, they reflect a similar commitment to interactive storytelling and branching narratives. He said he believes that Flavourworks’ different approach synergizes with what Telltale is doing. Given the promising start of Telltale’s The Expanse series, it makes sense the studio is interested in Flavourwork’s work.
Flavourworks gives Telltale wider cross-platform availability
While Erica hit PS4 first, Flavourworks is mainly a mobile game studio, with Hush: Crane and Cuttlefish currently iOS exclusives. This is another reason for Telltale’s interest in the United Kingdom-based developer. The California-based company hopes to take advantage of the London studio’s experience and technology.
“Fans today want to interact with their favorite IPs more deeply and interactive narratives are a really immersive way to do that,” said Ottilie. “At the same time, people want to access their games from wherever they are, regardless of device or platform.”
Telltale and Flavourworks haven’t revealed all the specifics of the deal. However, Telltale did announce that Flavourworks CEO Zachary Slatter is joining Telltale as the company’s new managing director for Europe. According to Slatter, his company worked hard to innovate and use its technology to enhance player experiences and keep its games accessible on lower-end devices. The Flavourworks team also stated it is now looking forward to its new relationship with Telltale Games.
