Bringing Bob And Helmut To Life

It takes a lot of drafts and reworks to hone in on what makes a character tic. What you picture in your head at first is never where you end up. Even for someone like Tim, who has written plenty of games, there's a process of testing and feedback that shaves initial ideas down to their core. It's fair to say that some fans have gravitated towards the relationship between Helmut Fullbear and Bob Zanotto but crafting considered representation in a story can be tricky. Bob and Helmut are the first gay couple to show up in a Double Fine game and avoiding stereotypes and cliche was a priority. But what does that mean from a writing and development stand point?

In this chat between Tim and level designer James Marion, we look at the steps that went into creating this dynamic psychic duo!

I don't have a big conclusion here. The important details are in the video but if there's a big takeaway to be had, it's that a studio and the stories it tells thrives on a diverse staff that's comfortable offering critique and feedback. You need to discuss your characters and plot out how they express themselves from the dialogue right down to the gameplay and level design. Nothing is set in stone and it only gets better and better the more you're willing adjust and tweak your ideas. Do that and you can craft convincing characters.