Misfits 'Do A Runner'
Channel 4
Goals
Misfits is an irreverent dark comedy drama commissioned for E4 featuring a group of teenagers serving community orders who have unwittingly gained superhero powers. One of the major releases for 2009, the series needed to maximise its reach and engagement with the target audience.
Channel 4 commissioned a wealth of activity across different platforms including an overarching game mechanic integrated within E4.com, as well as the development of the lead characters in social media spaces.
As a key part of the cross-platform activities, E4.com commissioned us to develop an online game to attract people to the Misfits series , introduce the characters and tone of the show and encourage them to get involved with both the TV show and the other associated online activity.
Solution
The characters in the series are trapped in a community centre, and this seemed to be an ideal game conceit to get across the plot of the series and the attitudes of the characters. The aim of Misfits Do A Runner is to escape from the community centre without getting caught. It features a crazed social worker army on the lookout for kids in orange jumpsuits. The player is armed only with a spray-can in which they must disable the attacking hordes.
The player can control one of the five characters from the series and then attempt to navigate through the labyrinth of rooms to find the exit. A handy map is available and always on hand to help orientate and guide players to room keys.
We made sure it was appropriately branded yet stylistically abstracted from the series, using a simplified vector style.
Results
The game launched exclusively on E4.com shortly before the show aired and became an ongoing part of the overall marketing of the commission across platforms.