Kickstarter

The Whenabouts story starts of course with finding a mysterious wood crate - and the incomplete journal within it - in the mail. But it's the 11 deliveries that follow - the "time parcels" sent from different eras by the story's protagonists every two weeks - that unfold the plot, shape the characters, and draw out the suspense of the adventure. Let's take a closer look at these pieces of puzzle and plot...

1. Present Day
A small wood crate delivered in December (to parents) contains a mysterious and incomplete field book and various artifact clues. A code entered online reveals a Skype-style dispatch video* from the main characters and a longer-form video further introducing the backstory.

2. 1990s
An envelope mailed in early January includes an old (non-functional) 5.25" floppy diskette with a code-scribbled label. Another dispatch is revealed as well as clues hidden within a series of ASCII art - viewable in a simplistic Mosaic-style web browser.

3. 1980s
An envelope arrives in late January containing a strangely-labelled VHS cassette tape sleeve. A code on the tape label unlocks access to a virtual VCR (and bulky cathode-ray tube TV) on which to view an interesting but fuzzy short film.

4. 1970s
An envelope arrives in early February containing an old IBM-style computer punch card. After decoding the card using text in the field book, an interactive fiction (eg. Zork or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Q&A is presented on a green screen computer terminal.

5. 1960s
An envelope arrives in late February containing a 35mm film slide with an elaborate clue-filled photo. The twins' video dispatch invites viewers to visit a virtual drive-in theater and to “pay special attention to the newsreel”.

6. 1950s
A postcard picturing a vinyl record arrives in early March. A code on the circular label gives access to an online virtual record player (or gramophone), revealing a musical audio clue.

7. 1900s
An airmail-style envelope arrives in late March containing a typed telegram slip. Access to a virtual telegraph allows interaction with informative in-game authorities.

8. 1800s
A parchment envelope arrives in early April with a page of classical sheet music. Per instructions in the video dispatch, the song must be transcribed note-by-note on a virtual piano to unlock another piece of the storyline.

9. 1700s
An aged and wax-sealed envelope arrives in late April containing a handwritten (calligraphy) letter. Instructions within the letter reveal a small online gallery of 16th-century paintings, each depicting key scenes in the story.

10. 1600s
Another postcard arrives in early May displaying missing parts of a map (half of which was in the initial crate). The map corresponds to a special-access “old world explorer” point-and-click puzzle game in which the whereabouts of a key item can be discovered.

11. 1500s
A padded mailer arrives in late May containing a real metal pocket watch, the object which returns our protagonists home. After solving a riddle related to the timepiece, a video plays out concluding plot lines.

12. 1400s
Finally, in June, a success wall poster arrives in the mail which recaps the many scenes and characters encountered in the story. A farewell thank-you dispatch from Marie-Anne and CJ is followed by access to a virtual letterpress where “I was here” or "thank you mom and dad"** postcards may be created.

And so you see: the mysterious wood box is only the beginning! A whole journey unfolds - incrementally and in true many-media fashion. While primarily designed as entertainment, Whenabouts also delivers multidisciplinary puzzle-solving and an indirect education about the history of human communications. Curious?

*All eras include a dispatch video from the Marie-Anne and CJ (played by actors) bridging the physical object and the digital experience with clues, hints, and firsthand story developments.

**We'll print and mail the "thank you" postcard to the related Whenabouts backer. After all, parents are also involved in the journey; we send them hints-and-tips heads-up emails prior to each delivery.