Fran Bow, Little Misfortune, and Natalia Martinsson
“Death is nothing more than the absence of love. Once you can’t feel love, you die… even if your body still walks.”
Natalia Martinsson is the CEO and co-founder of the independent game company Killmonday Games. She is also the creative director and game designer responsible for creating horror and adventure indie games Fran Bow and Little Misfortune. Both games have amassed thousands of positive reviews from gaming platforms like Steam and streamers who’ve played her games. Her work stands out in the indie game industry for incorporating creepy and child-like elements through her art that bring her characters and storytelling to life, leaving an emotionally impactful and immersive impression on players.
Natalia’s personality is reflected in Killmonday Game’s Mission statement:
”Killmonday Games’ dream is to make games with personal stories attached to them, creating immersive worlds filled with mystery, feelings, and fun. The biggest focus lies in storytelling and making a personal connection to the players and the game” (Killmonday Games).
Creative Process
Natalia Martinsson intentionally incorporates both her personal experiences and struggles into the details of her video games through the use of artistic elements, which have a unique and whimsical flair. Through Fran Bow and Little Misfortune, Natalia expresses her authenticity and vulnerability, providing a platform for themes of mental health, childhood, healing, as well as darker themes of trauma and abuse.
Natalia told us in detail about the character design and personality of her two main characters.
We asked Natalia about her favorite aspects and characters of Fran Bow.
Fran Bow
Fran Bow is a horror point-and-click adventure indie game that was released by Killmonday Games in 2015. It’s currently available on PC, IOS, Android, console, and online gaming platforms such as Steam. Fran Bow follows the story of Fran Bow Dagenhart, a 10-year old girl who witnesses the gruesome death of her parents. Scared for her life, she runs away with her cat, Mr. Midnight, only to be admitted to a mental ward without him. Determined to reunite with him and her only other family, Aunt Grace, she escapes and faces a series of fantastical and psychological adventures filled with puzzles, whimsical characters, and hauntingly eerie settings.
Natalia explained the different inspirations that went into the creative process for Fran Bow.
Natalia shared her thoughts and reactions to the release and success of Fran Bow.
Little Misfortune
Little Misfortune is a point-and-click horror adventure game and is the second game released by Killmonday Games (in 2019). The game follows Misfortune Ramirez Hernandez, a bright 8-year old girl who meets Mr. Voice. Through his promises of eternal happiness, she embarks on an adventure through the woods, solving mysteries and sprinkling happiness wherever she goes in the form of glitter.
Natalia discussed the inspirations behind building F.R.E.E. (Five Realms of Essential Existence).
Indie Games
Independent (“indie”) video games are created by a singular or small group of developers like Killmonday Games without the financial and technical support of a large publishing company. Amongst big game publishers such as Electronic Arts, they had limited outreach and visibility. It wasn’t until 2008 when big publishers began focusing more on creating big franchises that windows of opportunities for indie game developers opened. Steam, a video game platform, began offering indie games for players to discover. Specialized storefronts allowed for the increased visibility of indie games by allowing developers to publish, update, and advertise their game directly for players to download (New York Film Academy, n.d.).
Intellectual Property of Video Games
Intellectual property refers to the legal rights that the game developer or team has for their games’ creative elements through copyright, trademark, and patents. In the United States, game developers can apply for these protections through the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Copyright Office. The expense of applying for some of these protections often prevents indie game developers and small companies from seeking out IP protection for their games.
Video game attorney Darius Gambino provided his insight into the legal risks indie developers and companies take when they do not seek IP protection on their indie games.
Microsoft video game attorney Angelo Alcid explained the importance of smaller video game companies seeking worldwide IP protection.
Natalia explained the character licensing of the Fran Bow and Misfortune characters.
References
Interview with Natalia Martinsson, I would not advise anyone to create a game the way we did. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-would-advise-anyone-create-game-way-we-did-the-great-journey/
Killmonday Games (n.d.) https://killmondaygames.com/
New York Film Academy (n.d.). The Independent Game Development Boom. https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/indie-game-development-interview-with-stephanie-barish/.