Four Stories Telltale Could Tell Next

Lately, Telltale Games tends to get the gaming community excited about either a new episode for one of its existing series, or about the announcement of a whole new title at least a few times a year. This year, the biggest buzz in connection to Telltale has been the news of a Batman series. This is undoubtedly the next big thing from the increasingly beloved developer. However, in a recent interview posted by Gamerant with the CEO of Telltale, the idea was clear that the company could have a lot more going on in the near future. While the CEO said that they try not to have more than four series going at a time, it’s also evident that they’re willing to expand and stretch themselves out. And that has to get you wondering as to what’s going to come after Batman?

With most any other game developer this would be a wide open question. There might be any number of game franchises to pick up, or original experiences that we couldn’t even guess at. However, Telltale has largely made its name through the adaptation of existing, popular franchises.

To be clear, there aren’t really any actual hints as to which series could be next. Going by Telltale’s history, popular suggestions online, and the state of pop culture, here are four guesses worth keeping in mind.

Archer

If you take the time to look around on the internet for people’s suggestions for new Telltale series, you’ll almost certainly stumble on Archer. There’s a whole forum on Reddit about the idea. This would represent new territory for Telltale given that Archer is an adult animated comedy on FX, rather than some superhero, horror, or fantasy franchise. But there are reasons to believe it would work. The characters are strong, the animation is similar to some of Telltale’s work, and the developer’s episodic format would work beautifully with a show that chronicles the innumerable missions and exploits of a fringe spy agency. Again, we don’t know Telltale’s thinking, but purely by fit, enthusiasm for an idea, and diversification of gaming options, this could be considered a frontrunner.

The Invisible Man

This isn’t as relevant a title in modern entertainment as Archer. There’s already a game based on the H.G. Wells novella that is featured among Lottoland’s slot games alongside similar classic options like Jack & The Beanstalk and The Three Stooges. It’s a real money slot reel for fans of the story that features all the relevant characters and cinematic ambience one would expect, but isn’t anywhere near the detail or immersive quality of a true video game. Let alone a game from Telltale. But The Invisible Man may soon be far more relevant. Universal is working on a series of monster films to comprise a “connected universe” akin to Marvel’s with Johnny Depp slated to star in an Invisible Man adaptation. Telltale could take on the other monster movies as well, but the likes of Frankenstein and Dracula don’t necessarily make for the same methodical approach that The Invisible Man could inspire. This is more of a mystery tale, and one that
would fit in nicely with Telltale’s existing games.

The Fantastic Four

“It’s hard to shake the feeling of a better movie being trapped inside a bad movie’s body.” That’s a quote from Cinemixtape’s review of 2015’s Fantastic Four, and it seems to capture how a lot of superhero fans feel about the numerous attempts to put these characters on the big screen. The studios haven’t pulled it off in a satisfying way, even though it feels like there’s good material there. Maybe that good material could be realized through a narrative-based video game. We already know that Marvel is working on improving its console gaming presence, and Telltale might enjoy balancing the scales by following a DC series with a Marvel one.

Westworld

Two of Telltale’s most popular series to date have been based on major television shows: The Walking Dead and Game Of Thrones. It’s always difficult to say where the next TV hit is coming from, but in November of 2016 it’s definitely starting to feel like HBO’s Westworld is grabbing a significant audience. The show is a wonderfully large adventure based on the 1973 Michael Crichton film, and already feels like HBO’s next big hit even though it’s only a few episodes in. Imagining a game based on Westworld is a little bit of a brain exercise, given that the show itself is about a sort of massive alternate reality game being played by people. But then, maybe the bizarre nature of the idea could make it something new and exciting for Telltale to try.