LOS ANGELES and SAN FRANCISCO – AUGUST 23, 2022 – Telltale, a leading narrative game development studio and publisher, announced today that the company has hired Zak Garriss as vice president of story development. Relaunched in August of 2019 under new ownership and management with a mission to build upon Telltale’s legacy for narrative games, the company previously announced it is in production on The Wolf Among Us 2 and The Expanse: A Telltale Series.
Garriss previously served as chief creative officer for Deck Nine, working on the critically acclaimed Life is Strange series. Garriss held the roles of lead writer and narrative director on the BAFTA-nominated Life is Strange: Before the Storm, which went on to receive numerous award nominations, and won the People’s Voice Awards for “Best Writing” and “Public Service & Activism” at the 2018 Webby Awards, as well as “Game of the Year” and “Most Significant Impact” at the 2018 Games for Change.
He was also the game director for 2021’s BAFTA-nominated Life is Strange: True Colors, winner of 2 NAVGTR awards, the 2022 “Outstanding Game”, GLAAD Media Award, the 2021 “Best Storytelling” Golden Joystick, and “Greatest Impact” at the 2021 Game Awards. Garriss worked as a senior writer at the Colorado-based Idol Minds before the studio changed its name to Deck Nine. He also held roles as researcher for CBS Television Studios, designer at 38 Studios, and assistant producer at Big Huge Games.
"I think story is magic. It has the power to delight, to inspire, and most importantly, to point to meaning in our lives,” said Garriss. “So, the chance to join Telltale and collaborate with some of the industry's most extraordinary game developers to craft the next generation of narrative adventure games is...well, incredible. I can't wait to share with the world what we're up to.".
Additionally, long-time Telltale alumni, Sara Guinness has been promoted from director to vice president of operations. Guinness was one of the first hires at the new company following more than five years working as senior producer at the former Telltale Games before it shuttered. She previously was a senior producer for Other Ocean, and producer for Backbone Entertainment. Guinness started her career in games with an eight-year stint at Riverdeep (also known as Broderbund, Mattel Interactive, The Learning Company and Softkey).
“We are incredibly lucky to have Zak, one of the strongest voices in narrative game design working today, join us in our mission to build upon Telltale’s story-telling legacy,” said Jamie Ottilie, CEO of Telltale. “We are dedicated to creating and empowering others to create the best interactive stories. Zak’s leadership just raises the bar for an already talented team.”
“And Sara has been instrumental in standing up the new company; helping us grow and be effective while faced with the challenges of the pandemic,” continued Ottilie. “From her deep knowledge of the former company and its catalog of games to her impressive guidance across multiple areas of our organization has enabled us to make great strides with our small team.”
About Telltale Games
Telltale is an independent developer and publisher of both original and licensed IP games for every major interactive platform and is a pioneer of narrative games and episodic delivery. The Telltale brand, assets, and various IP are now owned by LCG Entertainment, operating and marketing games under the Telltale name. LCG Entertainment is a privately held company, headquartered in Malibu with offices in Corte Madera, California. For more information, please visit www.telltale.com.
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Media Contacts
Elizabeth Olson
EOlson@Telltale.com