Daegan Fox Manns in: Hang to Dry or Tumble on Low
Daegan Fox Manns in: Hang to Dry or Tumble on Low is more than just text adventure with a stupidly long title. It’s a comedic text adventure with a stupidly long title. Watch out world.
I designed and wrote the game using Twine. It’s around 11,000 words and contains multiple branching paths and endings.
I made the game for my best friend, Dagean Fox Manns. Yes, he is a real guy and that is his real name. Can you imagine living with that everyday of your life? Truly chilling.
The game is silly, over the top, a little bit crass, and one of my favorite things I have ever written.
Daegan Fox Manns: A History
Daegan and I, pictured here, have been best friends for about 10 years. When we were in high school, Daegan starred in a stage production of “Forsooth, My Lovely” in which he played a noir style detective. He, of course, was perfect.
When he turned 18 later that year, I decided to write him an original pilot episode of his own noir style detective show. Thus, Daegan Fox Manns, the detective, not the actual human, was born.
Over the next several years, I would write two more episodes of the show. I didn’t do it every year because Daegan didn’t deserve gifts every year. Also, I did’t do it because I am not a very good friend.
When Christmas 2024 rolled around, I figured it was time for ol’ Detective Manns to dust off the fedora and make his reemergence, this time, in the form of a text adventure.
Is it a gift? Or just a cheap ploy so I could add it to my portfolio? I’ll never tell.
The Process
When I started designing the game, I wanted to focus on giving the player meaningful choice . I didn’t want the game to feel too long and arduous, but I did want there to be the opportunity for a few unique play-throughs. In the finished product, the inciting incident always remains the same, but there are 10 different ways it can end.
I also had some fun playing with the adventures middle. There are a few very different paths you can take. These paths in turn lead to a good amount of variety in both the story beats and the endings. The whole thing is chock-a-block full of absurdity and I absolutely loved designing and wiring it.
The whole process was extremely seamless and easy. I knew where I wanted to go, and the bits I wanted to include. Designing it was quick work, and writing it based on my outline was an extremely enjoyable experience.
Lessons Learned
I always have felt at home writing comedy. I love writing things that make me laugh, and this project really reinvigorated that passion. I think in the process of trying to find a job, I lost some of the excitement I had for game development in general. This took me back to my roots and reminded me why I love doing this.
I also learned how important it is to make things that you think are good. This game didn’t (and probably never will( make waves in the indie market, but I am so proud of how it turned out because I love it.
Daegan also said he loves it, but what does he know? That dude is a clown.
