Unavowed Writer Reveals the Exact Moment That Inspired His Game That No One Had Dared to Think Of

Wadjet Eye Games’ 2018 game, Unavowed, featured a classic point-and-click style of gameplay. The game plays out in an episodic fashion and provides players with various options that will affect the storyline. The game received positive reviews from the critics as well as the fans but was criticized for its easy difficulty level.

The designer of the game, Dave Gilbert, once explained that Jennifer Hepler’s interview inspired him to create Unavowed. In fact, Hepler is even credited as the story co-designer of the game. Before leaving BioWare in 2013, Hepler had worked on the Dragon Age fantasy role-playing video game franchise.

Unavowed Was Inspired By Jennifer Hepler’s Interview

In 2020, Unavowed‘s designer, Dave Gilbert, appeared for an interview with BoingBoing. During the conversation, Gilbert was asked to talk about the inspiration behind the game. He quoted the words of an ex-BioWare developer who is very familiar with RPG games,

Jennifer Hepler joined BioWare in 2005 and worked on the first three main installments in the Dragon Age franchise, starting with 2009’s Dragon Age: Origins. In 2013, Hepler left BioWare and has worked on various unique projects since then. She is credited as the story co-designer for Unavowed.

Gilbert was fascinated by the idea of creating an RPG game without combat as there are many RPG fans out there who prefer to enjoy the story instead of all the action. The point-and-click game is widely popular among RPG fans and if you wish to check it out: It is available on is available on macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Linux.

Dave Gilbert Started Wadjet Eye Games To Release His Own Games

Wadjet Eye Games was founded in 2006 by Dave Gilbert with the primary goal to publish his own games but in 2010, the studio published its first game designed by a different developer. Since then, the studio has released various games that have been developed by other developers. During the interview, Gilbert explained that it was “pure capitalism” that convinced him to start publishing games made by other developers. Developing and releasing his own games was quite risky and not feasible.

Wadjet Eye Games was nominated for the Best New Studio award at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2007. Gilbert believes that the studio’s first game, The Shivah, shows “every inch of his inexperience” and that is why he considers The Blackwell Legacy, the studio’s second game, as the first game he made with the intention of selling commercially.