HBO: Westworld "The Maze”

Challenge

HBO’s “Westworld” has a passionate base of fans who delight in the show’s mysterious twists and turns. As the second season of Westworld came to an end, HBO wanted to give fans a reason to talk about the show even when it wasn’t on-air. We brought it to life in a game that lets fans inhabit the world much like the characters they follow each week.

Solution

We turned to a medium that combines the oldest form of storytelling with the newest technology: voice. Available on Amazon Alexa-enabled devices, “Westworld: The Maze” brings the show’s layered story mapping to the voice platform, where users are led on a quest for consciousness in an immersive game that allows fans to navigate the show’s world right from their couches.

Within the game’s detailed sound design, anything could be a clue. We leveraged the series’ full sound library for maximum authenticity, production quality, and interactive storytelling – creating a premium experience not replicated in other Voice skills on the market. On average, fans spent 14 minutes playing across multiple paths to find the center of The Maze.

Results

Within days of the game being released, “Westworld: The Maze” garnered millions of press impressions and more than 250 pieces of press coverage in outlets like the New York Times, WIRED, Entertainment Weekly and Mashable. Since launch, the game has earned a total of 46 awards including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix and awards from One Show, Clio Entertainment, and London International Awards, among others. Amazon recently mentioned Westworld: The Maze on its Earnings Report call, citing it as an exemplary Entertainment skill created for Amazon Alexa.