Why Did Young Megan Jones Have To Hang?

That's one of the questions that will be confronting players of Arberth Studios' forthcoming Point & Click adventure game, 'Coven'. Did she suffer the noose because she really was a witch, as they claimed? And why has the ghost of the black dog haunted the river bridge ever since?

Wales-based developer Arberth Studios is currently riding the strong popularity wave of its debut title 'Rhiannon: Curse of the Four Branches', which has achieved both critical and player acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Production has now begun on their keenly awaited second game.

Arberth’s spokesman Noel Bruton comments, “There are three essential dates in the schedule. The first is the beginning of the second quarter, when the gameplay demo will go to prospective publishers as their opportunity to take part in the project. The second is the Gold Master target date - we have 20th September in mind. The third is the release – and for that we’re aiming to achieve the end of October 2010.”

With the collapse of some of its publishing channels in 2009, Arberth turned its hand to self-publishing its first title ‘Rhiannon’ in the UK, Germany, France and Canada, while seeking new outlets in the US. This now gives the company the option of putting Coven too through these direct routes to market, although a formal publishing relationship can have benefits. As Bruton says, “Some players prefer to buy a box in a shop. For that, a publisher with the right expertise and channel contacts is one practical solution.”

For Coven, as well as considerable gameplay augmentations, Arberth’s reputation for strong story lines will be further enhanced. The writers are creating an even deeper story than in ‘Rhiannon’, including themes and topics rarely if ever explored in an adventure game. Arberth believes that the PC adventure genre is unique in being able to deliver challenging, relevant puzzles among solid, sophisticated, interactive drama. In keeping with this, Coven’s plot will be more like that of a movie than a computer game.

The player arrives in the present day, ostensibly to mix corporate duties with the family business of claiming an inheritance, the legacy of an unknown Great Aunt. But your investigations enmesh you with an involved story going back to the frightening witch-hunts that coincided with the English Civil War, traversing the Rebecca Riots, the British Agricultural Revolution and World War II espionage, to the terrible threat that has come to grip the fate of the town following your Aunt's demise. You must discover and assume your Aunt's occult responsibilities - summon allies and new skills - and face the truth that has eluded Castle Avon for nearly four hundred years.

Scene panning is used where it fits. There will be an ingenious way of recording player progress and delivering gameplay hints. Graphics are more animated. But we're sticking to our preferred model of the player acting alone, in the first person - and story and puzzles still come first. Even with such a tragic story, player enjoyment is crucial. There's fun to be had here too."