* Please check the exact dates in the Adventure Escape Mysteries app. The iOS and Google Play games typically launch first and will be in Early Access for roughly 4 weeks before Open Access. 

How much does the VIP Bundle cost?
The VIP Bundle costs $8.99 USD (this will adjust based on your local currency). The Keys and Stars you get with the bundle are worth $9.99, so you can get the bonus content and early access for less than the cost of the keys and stars purchased separately! All the hints and skips are free in the bonus chapter so you’ll never be stuck for long.

Do I get access to all VIP content if I purchase one VIP Bundle?
You do not. If you purchase the Sweet Dreams VIP Bundle, you'll get access to the Sweet Dreams VIP Content, 30 stars, and unlock all Sweet Dreams chapters. However, you won't get access to the Vanishing Act Bonus Chapter. Some players have asked for a different option that will give access to all VIP exclusive content, and we are considering that. Please let us know if that is something you are interested in so we can gauge interest!

I don't see the VIP Bundle. What's wrong?
First, make sure the VIP Bundle is available. We'll announce the launch date on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and send out an email. The iOS and Google Play versions are sometimes available before the Amazon Kindle, Steam, Windows, and Facebook versions.

If it is past the launch date and you do not see the VIP Bundle, the most common situation is that you need to update your Adventure Escape Mysteries app. The app might not automatically update. If you have more problems, please email us.

I bought the VIP Bundle on the wrong account! What should I do?
Some players were logged into the wrong Haiku account, or not logged in when purchasing the VIP Bundle. We can transfer the VIP Bundle purchase to the correct account if you email support. The process is currently manual, so please give our Customer Support team a little time to make this happen. 

Do I need to buy the VIP Bundle to finish the story in the main game?
No, you do not. You can complete the main story by playing for free. Bonus Content is meant to supplement the main story. 
​
Will every future mystery have a VIP Bundle?
We don’t know yet. In the last year, we've released games with and without VIP bundles. There is a VIP Bundle for Death Dodgers, Vanishing Act, Puzzle Lovers, and Sweet Dreams. Whether or not we continue depends on how you, our players, react to them. Let us know what you think about the bundles and if we should keep doing them.

Will Bonus Content be the same for each game?
We are experimenting with different types of VIP exclusive bonus content. Stardust: A Puzzle Collection is a series of different puzzles that the players complete to learn more about the world of Revi in Sweet Dreams. Homecoming is a bonus chapter that explores Detective Kate in high school. Let us know which ones you prefer!

Will the Bonus Content be available for everyone eventually?
At this time, Bonus Content is exclusively for players who purchase the VIP Bundle. 

Can I buy the VIP Bundle after the Early Access period? 
Yes, you can still purchase the VIP Bundle when the game is in Open Access.

Why are you offering VIP content?
Our goal is to keep making Adventure Escape for years to come. Imagine if we could release a high quality Adventure Escape update every month instead of every 3-4 months like we do now! This is something many players have asked for.

To do that, we have to keep bringing on amazingly talented people and manage the rising costs of creating Adventure Escape. Our standards have constantly been going up–if you look at some of the art in Vanishing Act versus our first game, Pyramids of Giza, you can see the increase in quality. 

​​At the same time, we want to offer something that is valuable for players. We hope the combination of unique content, early access, and the included keys and stars will be exciting for our players.

If you choose to purchase VIP Bundles, we’re thankful to you for supporting Haiku Games. You’re helping us update Adventure Escape with new, free mysteries for years to come. Hopefully this explains our decision to create the VIP bundle. As always, let us know your thoughts!

What’s fun about working on a game set in the Wild West?
​
Robin: The Western genre is rich with storytelling possibilities because it’s somewhat historical, but also highly dramatized. The genre also has a deep cinematic history with spaghetti Westerns, and their connection to the samurai genre. But at the heart of most Westerns is the desire for adventure and navigating the unknown when the odds aren’t favorable, so nailing those elements was at the top of our list. We hope the game is a healthy mix of fun and challenging!

Emmorie: The Wild West is such a well-explored setting that it can sometimes feel overly familiar. But that challenge is what made it exciting—finding ways to break expectations and make the world feel fresh again. I also loved showcasing the Southwest’s breathtaking landscapes in a way that goes beyond the usual tumbleweed towns.

What’s one of your favorite parts or moments of the game?

Emmorie: Quicksand! We had a lot of fun designing a quicksand moment in the game. It’s one of those classic Wild West dangers, but with a unique twist that fits right in.

Robin: There’s a part in chapter four with a crystal cave, waterfalls, dinosaur bones, and a massive surprise. That room turned out spectacular and it’s gorgeous to stare at!

How long have you worked at Haiku Games, and how did you get into game design?
​
Emmorie: I’ve always been passionate about games—video games, board games, and game art. I never imagined it would actually be creating them!

Knowing I wanted to pursue something creative, I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design, where I earned a BFA in industrial design. After college, I was hired by Mattel Games, where I was mentored by award-winning board game designer Brian Yu. He taught me the fundamentals of game design—what makes games fun and engaging. I left Mattel during the COVID pandemic but credit him with giving me my foundation in game design.

I was drawn to mobile games because they offer so many opportunities to create exciting, unexpected 'wow' moments that aren’t always possible in physical games. I’ve been with Haiku Games for the past two and a half years, and I see myself here for the long haul!

Robin: Emmorie, Andrew Petersell (who did Death Dodgers), and I all started at Haiku simultaneously, and it’s been such a joy working together!

I’ve been a gamer as long as I can remember and grew up with Mario, Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and Legend of Zelda. I also loved classic point-and-click PC games like Freddie Fish and Putt-Putt, which are similar in structure to what we do here.

My journey into the industry started as a detour. During the height of the pandemic, I completed my MFA in Creative Writing. I spent my rare free time playing Adventure Escape games on my phone because I didn’t have time for console gaming. Those phone games reminded me of the point-and-click games I grew up with, and I fell in love with the style. I pivoted my MFA away from novels and made a video game for my thesis instead. Haiku Games took a chance on me right when I graduated, and I’ve been here ever since!

As two designers working on one game, how did you collaborate and split the work?

Robin: Emmorie and I tackled individual chapters on our own. Of course, splitting the game up meant we weren’t designing chapters in chronological order, so we needed to check in regularly to make sure our timeline was consistent. Even though Dino Country is wrapped up, we still message regularly about puzzle ideas and brainstorming sessions for our own games. It’s handy working with other creatives because the end project is always richer!

Emmorie: We collaborated on the overall story outline, then divided up the chapters and created a list of iconic elements we wanted to include in the game. Having multiple perspectives really helped—we could bounce ideas off each other, which led to some unique and unexpected puzzles that might not have happened otherwise. It was a great balance of teamwork and individual creativity.

Do you think a T-Rex would make a good pet?

Emmorie: As someone who loves big dogs—I have a Newfoundland—I like to think I’m up for the challenge of a giant pet. But even I have to admit that a T-Rex might be a little too much. It would be ridiculously expensive to feed, and I’d be afraid of it stepping on me (or worse).

Robin: Well, it’ll depend on how big your backyard is, or if your local dog park will make a species exception. Not sure how many landlords will approve, though. I’m sure that pet fee would be through the roof!

What’s your favorite dinosaur?

Robin: Oh, there’s so many! This one isn’t technically a dinosaur, but I love plesiosaurs. As a kid, I read a theory that the Loch Ness monster was actually a plesiosaur ghost, and that theory has stuck with me ever since! Ankylosauruses are also super amazing and have such fantastic body armor.

Emmorie: I like the Iguanodon! One of the most fascinating things about it is that it had thumbs—I’ve yet to hear a definitive explanation for why, and I’ve always found that intriguing. My son, Leo, loves a book called Dinosaur Dance by Sandra Boynton, and there's an Iguanodon page where I do a funny dance that always makes him laugh. Of course, I had to include an Iguanodon in our game too.

This is your first solo game at Haiku! You also worked on Vanishing Act before this one. How does it feel to take the lead on a project?
Very rewarding. It was a ton of work, but it was cool to take on more responsibilities during the development process. For example, the Detective Kate universe was already established when we started working on Vanishing Act, so most of the legwork for story and character development was already done. As the primary designer on this project, it was on me to come up with an entirely new story from whole cloth. This was a challenge for sure, but as a result, I have a much greater sense of ownership over Death Dodgers, and I’m really proud of how it turned out!

Death Dodgers starts because the main character downloads a phone game, which feels pretty self-referential. Does that mean there will be other video game elements in Death Dodgers?
The video game aspects of Death Dodgers certainly play a big part in the story and gameplay. There’s a chapter set in an arcade where we have puzzles based on classic video games like Burger Time and Street Fighter. These were some of my favorite puzzles to design, so I hope you enjoy them!

What was your favorite part to work on in Death Dodgers?
I had fun coming up with the story concept. It’s pretty “out there,” but we were able to explore it thoroughly, especially with the extra context provided by the bonus VIP chapter. I don’t want to say too much, because I think the story works best when you are as unspoiled as possible. Let’s just say that there are some real unexpected turns. I think players are going to have fun uncovering the mystery!

The art style is different than usual, and all the characters have very unique designs! What inspired you to take this direction?
The setting of Death Dodgers is largely based off of New York City, so I wanted the art to feel like something out of that urban environment. Gong Studios took that idea and ran with it. They developed a unique, pseudo-graffiti art style that looks super cool, and totally nails that urban vibe. For me, New York has always been a place full of diverse people and experiences, and I think that really comes through in our character designs. Gong totally knocked it out of the park!

This game is Advanced, which is our hardest level. Do you have any advice for our clever players?
We didn’t set out with the specific goal of making this game harder than usual, but that is where the design ended up taking us. The stakes in this story are rather high, and I think that tension naturally bleeds over into the more challenging gameplay. Here is a bit of general advice for the puzzles in Death Dodgers: most locks require multiple clues to solve. If you think you know the solution after looking at only one clue, chances are you’re missing something. Be vigilant, and study your surroundings carefully!

Any words of wisdom for future game designers?
Make games! There’s no better way to learn how to design games than to just do it! If you’re not a strong programmer, make card games or board games. If you’re not a strong artist, draw stick figures. Every bit of experience is valuable!

Play Death Dodgers in Adventure Escape Mysteries. Purchase the Death Dodgers VIP Bundle to get access to an exclusive bonus chapter, 30 stars, and enough keys to unlock the whole game!

What advice would you give to an aspiring game designer when starting out?

• Back up your work!
• You are more unique than you realize. Everything you and your family have gone through will bring interesting variety to your games.
• Keep your expenses low. 
• Cache ideas for the future. I add screenshots to folders in Dropbox every day. 
• It’s good to have deeper meanings in your game, but you still have to entertain.

What games do you play on your own time other than AEM?
I try to be careful about playing games because I get pretty addicted. I’m co-designing three games right now so I need to stay on track. But I am playing The Queen’s Gambit Chess by Ripstone Games. I never learned chess as a kid – my slow learning curve was too humiliating. This app builds up very small chess puzzles and it’s infinitely patient. As part of my Puzzle Lovers research, I watched YouTube chess influencers and they’re a fun subculture. It seems like every game designer should understand chess!

Were there any major changes in Puzzle Lovers from when it was first designed?
Yes! Initially, we were sticking close to The Covenant’s coding, which only allows for one player character. That’s not good enough for a dating show. I asked if we could give the player more choices. And our brilliant engineer Christine Blaich found a way. Now the player can choose between eight characters. both male and female, and fifteen names. Everything feels more personal. Let us know if you love it! 🙂 

What puzzle are you the most pleased with how it turned out?
I’m most pleased with the puzzles other designers contributed to help me make my deadlines. Amy Fisher designed River Crossing in Puzzle Lovers chapter 5, and Motorcycle Race in the VIP chapter. Andrew Lee designed Market Manipulator in the VIP chapter. Of my own puzzles, I’d say the Untangle Parachute puzzle. It’s an exciting start to chapter 2.

What kind of player would be most interested in a game like Puzzle Lovers?
Anyone who wants to see the world, make friends, fall in love, or make money. Clever people like you are appreciated in this game. Also you learn how to untangle your parachute during free fall.

Play Puzzle Lovers now in the Adventure Escape Mysteries app!

How did you come up with the idea behind Sweet Dreams?
Tammy: A dream game is something Michelle and I have talked about making for a while. Setting a game in a dream environment gives you freedom to design whatever sort of fun and wacky world you want. Once it was decided it would be a dream, it seemed natural to set it in a child’s dreamland. Where else are there so many talking adorable animals and giant lollipops?  We worked through a few ideas that were more complex, but eventually settled on keeping it simple. Arlo is asleep, and you need to wake him up.

Also, I am a mother to a sweet little boy and hearing about his dreams, fears, and hopes served as a great inspiration for our little Arlo.

What is the process like to request new art?
Emmorie: During the early design process, we create rough sketches to explain all of the interactions in the chapter. Then, we create a large document with specifications and references for every element. We send that to a team of talented artists and eagerly wait to see our vision come to life! Typically there’s some back and forth to make things just right, but it’s always an exciting day when we receive art.

How did you decide on the art style for Sweet Dreams?
Michelle: Early on, we sent the art team at Gong Studios a simple line sketch that Emmorie made of the Chapter 2 candy land scene below. We asked them to deliver multiple rough color versions of that scene, trying out a variety of styles that would look dreamy and whimsical, and less realistic than our existing Adventure Escape games.

​The Gong team delivered six different versions shown below. 

We loved the overall vibe and layout of 2C, but we also pulled in elements from other versions, like the gummy bear in 2B, and the swirly sky lines in 1C. The art team made other refinements, like making the linework less jagged, and adding more color and yummy treats. This scene set the style for the whole game. 

What final art do you think turned out the best in the mystery?
Michelle: I love it all, but my two favorites are the Control Room in Chapter 1, and the Bunny Playground in Chapter 4. 

The Control Room feels so big and magical, with beautiful details and rich glowing colors. It’s such a rewarding moment when the electrical wires fill up with color, and when the huge window transforms to show the dreamscape outside. 

The two Bunny Playground scenes are ridiculously cute and dreamy with the fluffy white clouds, rainbow waterfalls, and chubby pink bunnies everywhere. There are so many iconic elements of childhood in there, from slides to lunchboxes to bubbles. It just makes me happy.

Emmorie: I think the art in Chapter 4 turned out really well - especially the bunny playground! The artists did a great job of capturing the whimsical, dreamy feel of the game. Connecting two rooms vertically was something unique that turned out really well.

Tammy:
I LOVE the spaces inside of Arlo’s head, both the dream work rooms from Chapter 1 and all the spaces in Stardust. They ended up just as whimsical and pretty as I imagined. There is a lovely twinkly little stardust animation that our developer Christine worked out in the Stardust game that makes me so happy every time I see it.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the adorable little animal characters. The otter, crab, bunnies, koala… they’re all just so cute!

Sweet Dreams is available in Adventure Escape Mysteries! Play on iOS, Google Play, Amazon Kindle, Facebook, or Windows.

What is the VIP Bundle?
We are launching a new feature called the VIP Bundle along with Vanishing Act. The VIP Bundle includes three major benefits for players.

1. Early Access to the Game -Vanishing Act releases on December 20, 2023* for all players, but you will be able to play the game on November 29 if you purchase the VIP Bundle. In addition, all chapters are unlocked so you don’t have to wait for keys (a $4.99 value)!
2. Bonus Chapter - If you purchase the VIP Bundle, you get access to Homecoming, a special bonus chapter featuring Kate when she was in high school. All hints and skips are free in the bonus chapter! 
3. 30 Stars - You also get 30 stars (a $4.99 value) when you purchase the VIP Bundle.

How much does the VIP bundle cost?
The VIP bundle will cost $8.99. The Keys and Stars you get with the bundle are worth $9.99, so you can get the bonus chapter and early access for less than the cost of the keys and stars purchased separately! All the hints and skips are free in the bonus chapter so you’ll never be stuck for long.

Do I need to buy the VIP bundle to finish the story in Vanishing Act?
No, you do not. You can complete the main story in Vanishing Act by playing for free. The Homecoming bonus chapter in the VIP bundle is a separate story involving Kate's adventures in high school.
​
Will every future mystery have a VIP bundle?
We don’t know yet. There will be a VIP Bundle for Vanishing Act as well as our next mystery which will come out in early 2024. Whether or not we continue depends on how you, our players, react to them. Let us know what you think about the bundles and if we should keep doing them.

Why are you offering VIP content?
Our goal is to keep making Adventure Escape for years to come. Imagine if we could release a high quality Adventure Escape update every month instead of every 3-4 months like we do now. This is something many players have asked for.

To do that, we have to keep bringing on amazingly talented people and manage the rising costs of creating Adventure Escape. Our standards have constantly been going up–if you look at some of the art in Vanishing Act versus our first game, Pyramids of Giza, you can see the increase in quality. 

​At the same time, we want to offer something that is valuable for players. We hope the combination of unique content, early access, and the included keys and stars will be exciting for our players.

If you choose to purchase the VIP Bundle, we’re thankful to you for supporting Haiku Games. You’re helping us update Adventure Escape with new, free mysteries for years to come. Hopefully this explains our decision to create the VIP bundle. As always, let us know your thoughts!

Thanks!
Andrew Ow
Founder, Haiku Games

* These release dates are for iOS and Google Play. Vanishing Act will release a few weeks later for the Kindle, Steam, and Windows version of Adventure Escape Mysteries.

Why does this target some developers?
We ran the numbers for 4 small game companies and calculated the impact of the Unity Runtime Fee for each of them. We assumed each company has 4 Unity developers. Each company also has revenue of $5 million a year, but the way they reach it is very different. 

• Developer 1 has a $20 Steam game and sells 250,000 copies. 
• Developer 2 has a paid mobile game and sells 2,500,000 copies for $2 each. 
• Developer 3 has a free to play mobile game and has an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $1 and 5,000,000 downloads
• Developer 4 has a popular kids app that has a $0.10 ARPU and 50,000,000 downloads.

​
Here is a table of how the Unity price change will affect these developers. (Our model is here, modified from this model)

Some developers will be completely crushed by this change. If you make a $20 game, then $0.15 per install is not that bad. But if you make a free-to-play game, this fee is a huge percentage of your revenue. On mobile, 95%+ of games are free. For Developer 4 who makes the kids app, Unity will take $1.8 MM from the developer, over two hundred times more than the developer is paying Unity now. (If you think the kids app example is extreme, look at this post from a kids app developer whose real numbers are even worse.)

It seems arbitrary that Unity decided some developers can survive but others cannot. This change from Unity will specifically target game developers who have high-download, low-revenue per user games. Based on our knowledge of the market, we believe many free to play game developers will go bankrupt due to this change. It seems impossible that this is an accident because many other pricing models (for example, raising the price of the Unity Pro subscription) would affect all developers equally. 

What do we think about the change?
There’s a lot that is frustrating about this situation. 

We get that development tools cost money. At Haiku, we’ve paid Unity hundreds of thousands of dollars in subscriptions and fees over the years. Outside of Unity, many companies have raised prices over the years and we understand that costs go up. But raising prices up to 400 times current rates is unprecedented. 

Perhaps most frustrating about this situation is that it harms all parties: developers, players, and yes, even Unity. How will this work out for Unity in the long term? It is hard to imagine recommending Unity to new developers in the future. And every existing Unity developer is going to evaluate the cost of continuing to use Unity versus switching to another engine. 

What does this mean for Haiku?
The good news is that Haiku will survive and keep making games. Don’t get us wrong, this is a major issue and we might have to adjust some plans, but we are one of the fortunate developers who will keep going. All the credit goes to the Haiku Games team and our players for supporting us throughout our journey. But make no mistake, a lot of our fellow game developers will go bankrupt if Unity proceeds with this change.