Scribbles & Ink
An innovative hybrid of narrative and game play…
…where kids draw pictures that join the story as they watch. Nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards!
Since launching in December 2019, Scribbles & Ink immediately became PBS Kids' most played app, with retention rates of over 20 minutes per session. Developed with our partners WGBH for PBS Kids and based on the popular book series by author and illustrator Ethan Long, the app provides the tools to draw objects that interact with the main characters Scribbles (a fussy cat) and Ink (a messy mouse) in playful open-ended stories. The kids' own creations become part of the animated series, and they can save their artwork in a gallery for viewing any time.
Based on its huge success, PBS green-lit a second season right away, which launched in December 2020 and won the 2021 Kidscreen Award for Best Alternative Preschool Game.
Trailer
Drawing
We also made several standalone videos, as accompanying material for the hybrid game/show, and as stealth tutorials acting like little stories. In this one, the two characters show their approach to drawing with tools from the app, and model behaviour for kids who may have their own way of drawing.
Design
Hybrid like the property, design involved UX (user experience), custom interactive elements like art brushes and paint spinners, and, of course, set and character design. There were some serious restrictions on file size for this to work on PBS Kids’ gaming space. Genius work by Director Rachel Stohlberg and Technical Director Ben Gaumond got us series-quality animation during game play, no small feat! We wanted fluid motion with a strong sense of character, springy pop-to-pose fun, and a seamless user experience from gameplay through drawing through narrative moments.
