Licensed games can be a mixed bag, but one that has invested heavily in presenting the broader IP in a way that’s both consistent and adds to the existing lore is the recently released platformer Monster High: Skultimate Secrets. This new title brings Mattel’s world to players in an authentic way.
Speaking with Game Rant, narrative designer Destinee Cleveland and associate producer Miguel Ortiz de Urbina Díaz discussed working with Mattel on Monster High and the lengths they went to to ensure the game provided a genuine Monster High experience.
Bringing Authenticity to Monster High
Outright Games worked extensively with Mattel to create something consistent with the current Generation Three of Monster High. Characters from the game are recognizably themselves as depicted in other media, and the game adds to the lore of the titular high school itself.
Working with Mattel was a dream come true for Cleveland, who grew up on Barbie. Díaz had worked with Mattel before on Matchbox Driving Adventures, which was also released in 2024 as part of a recent slate of games being licensed out by the company. He described the experience as a demanding but rewarding partnership:
I would say that they were demanding, but that really paid off in the end because it made for a really authentic Monster High experience. We are really happy with the collaboration…Our contacts have always been really understanding of production timeline limitations and everything, and they have been really helpful in all kinds of processes. It’s been really cool, and we really look forward to working with them again in future projects.
Cleveland’s experience had a personal touch to it, as someone who played with Barbies as a kid. She described being able to essentially play with Mattel dolls as a part of her career in game development as a dream come true–she got to be Game Designer Barbie in real life. She also echoed the way working with the company helped bring a certain clarity and authority to the script and characters she was writing. Both indicated that Mattel was an active participant in the game’s development.
Mattel did more than just ensure the consistency of the characters, helping Cleveland explore the broader lore of the setting as well. This meant the game could not only allow players an unprecedented level of exploration for the school itself, but also give Monster High: Skultimate Secrets players insights into the mysteries the school is built on.
I’m trying not to spoil anything for people who haven’t played it, but the school itself is a mystery, right? We don’t know if the school is alive or if it’s not alive, and what we do know from the stories is that it’s protected by this power. There’s basically this barrier within this game. You get to find out exactly what the barrier is, why the school was placed where it was placed, and how that barrier protects and reacts after a certain amount of time. When your character comes in, they are a key factor to saving the school. And I’m not going to give any more than that. You definitely have to play the game to find out why you’re a key factor.
The Secrets of Monster High
The exploration of the school’s secrets is a major part of the Skultimate Secrets toy line, as well. The toys focus on unlocking different compartments to unravel elements of the Monster High world, as well as discover Easter eggs and more. There’s no coincidence in the naming, as the game’s platforming is very consistent with the Skultimate Secrets line, seeking out hidden places and challenges to discover something new. The attention to detail is something Mattel has focused on with Generation Three, which started in 2022, and is immensely rewarding for not just the target audience of Generation Three–pre-teen girls. However, older fans who grew up on previous generations of Monster High have been a meaningful secondary audience for Mattel.
And that’s helped to contribute to a reception that’s been Positive on Steam and has been practically glowing in player interactions with Outright. The biggest complaint the team has heard was that the 10-hour platformer was too short. For its target demographic, that run time is fairly standard, Díaz explained, but both developers agreed that it’s a good problem to have–like the old entertainment truism of leaving the audience wanting more.
- Released
- October 29, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- Outright Games
- ESRB
- Everyone