{{short description|British writer and game designer (born 1958)}} {{Use British English|date=October 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox person |name = Steve Ince |image = Steve Ince Wiki.jpg |image_size = |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1958|2|21}} |death_date = |death_place = |known_for = Revolution Software, Juniper Games |occupation = Writer, Game Designer |notable_works = ''Broken Sword'' series, ''Beneath a Steel Sky'', ''So Blonde'' |spouse = June Sutherby |website = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/ }}
'''Steve Ince''' (born 21 February 1958) is a British writer and game designer, known for his work on Revolution Software titles such as the ''Broken Sword'' series, and is working on a freelance basis.
Before entering the video game industry, Ince earned a degree in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In 1993, Ince was employed by Revolution Software, where he worked on titles such as ''Beneath a Steel Sky'', the ''Broken Sword'' series, ''In Cold Blood'' and ''Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado''. He left the company in 2004, and set up a new website, ''Steve Ince Solutions'', offering solutions for writing and design in the video game industry.
Ince is also a creator of various comic strips and in 2004 a collection of one of his comic strips was published by BookSurge Publishing. In 2005 he launched Juniper Games, a label under which he would develop his own games, which was followed by the release of its first game, ''Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso''. He also announced a new company, InceSight, through which he offered his skills and experience to developers and publishers in need of assistance in the fields of writing and game design. Ince wrote down his ideas on game design in a series on ''Developing Thoughts'', and in a book entitled ''Writing for Video Games''.
As writer, designer or script editor Ince has been working on a number of games, most notably ''Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None'', ''The Witcher'', ''So Blonde'' and ''The Whispered World''. When Revolution started working on remakes of the first two ''Broken Sword'' games for newer platforms in 2009 and 2010, Ince became involved again. During this time he also worked on ''Spare Parts'', ''The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings'', and ''ScanMe'', and on casual/hidden object games, such as ''Rhianna Ford and The Da Vinci Letter'' and two ''Special Enquiry Detail'' games. For ''Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon'', Ince received a nomination for Excellence in Writing at the Game Developers Choice Awards 2004. In 2008 he received another nomination from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in the category of Best Video Game Script for the game ''So Blonde''. As of February 2012 Ince is represented by the SMART Talent agency.
==Biography== ===Early career and Revolution Software=== Before entering the game industry, Ince earned a degree in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1979). After a few jobs, including writing and drawing a cartoon strip for a local newspaper, he managed to get a job at Revolution Software in February 1993, about two years after the company was founded.<ref name="Alternative Magazine Online"/>
He was hired by Revolution as an artist to work on what would become ''Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars'', but he also worked on Beneath a Steel Sky, which had already been in production for some time. As he was also doing a lot of organising, Revolution's MD Charles Cecil asked him to become producer of the ''Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars'', and he was also the producer of its sequel, ''Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror''.<ref name="Alternative Magazine Online">{{cite web | last = Mulrooney | first = Marty | title = In Conversation With Steve Ince, Video Game Writer & Designer| publisher = Alternative Magazine Online | date =10 March 2010 | url = http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2010/03/10/interview-in-conversation-with-steve-ince-video-game-writer-designer/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Game Boomers">{{cite web | last = MacDonald | first = Laura | title = Interview with Steve Ince| publisher =Game Boomers| year =2003 | url = http://www.gameboomers.com/interviews/SteveInceInterview.htm | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
As producer, Ince sat in on a lot of story and design meetings, and in time he became more and more involved in the designing and writing side of the games. For the third episode in the series, ''Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon'' (2003), he co-wrote the story and the dialogue, and became lead designer on the project. When the fourth game, ''Broken Sword: The Angel of Death'' (2006), was first being discussed, he was asked to be involved, but he was already working freelance and committed to another project, ''So Blonde'', an opportunity for him to write a whole game almost from ground up.<ref name="Alternative Magazine Online"/>
Besides his work on the Broken Sword series, he also worked on other games by Revolution: ''In Cold Blood'' (2000) and ''Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado'' (2000). ''In Cold Blood'' was the first game where he had a big hand in the writing and it was the first game for which he wrote any dialogue.<ref name="Game Boomers"/>
===Departure from Revolution=== In May 2004, when Revolution had to let go most of its members because a project didn't get signed, Ince set up a new website, ''Steve Ince Solutions'', where he offered solutions for writing and design in the game industry.<ref name="Steve Ince Solutions">{{cite web | title = Steve Ince Solutions| publisher = Steve Ince Solutions | url = http://www.steve.ince.btinternet.co.uk/steve_ince/ | accessdate =26 March 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120053056/http://www.steve.ince.btinternet.co.uk/steve_ince/|archivedate=20 January 2012}}</ref> In the next month he became a writer for AllintheGame Ltd., one of the biggest UK talent agencies for voice acting and production.<ref name="Adventure Gamers">{{cite web | last = Remo | first = Chris | title = AllintheGame signs Steve Ince| publisher =Adventure Gamers| date = 16 June 2004 | url = http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=607 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040905193924/http://www.adventuregamers.com/newsitem.php?id=607 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 5 September 2004 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> In the same month he added a blog ''Writing and Design'',<ref name="Life in the Crescent">{{cite web| title =Writing and Design| publisher =Life in the Crescent| date =19 July 2004| url =http://www.juniper-crescent.com/blog/archives/2004_07_18_archive.html| accessdate =26 March 2012| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20060118055900/http://www.juniper-crescent.com/blog/archives/2004_07_18_archive.html| archivedate =18 January 2006}}</ref> a spin-off of his older blog ''Life in the Crescent'' at his existing website, ''Juniper Crescent''.<ref name="Juniper Crescent">{{cite web|title=Juniper Crescent |via=Wayback Machine |date=12 August 2003 |url=http://www.juniper-crescent.co.uk/ |accessdate=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030812105018/http://www.juniper-crescent.co.uk/ |archivedate=12 August 2003 }}</ref> He was also working on comic strips,<ref name="Juniper Crescent 2 ">{{cite web | title = juniper-crescent.com – the home of Steve Ince's comic strips| publisher =Juniper Crescent| url = http://www.juniper-crescent.com/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> and in 2004 a collection of his strips ''Juniper Crescent and The Sapphire Claw'' became available as ''Crescent And Claw, Vol. 1'' (BookSurge Publishing).<ref name="BookSurge ">{{cite web | title = Crescent And Claw, Vol.1| publisher =BookSurge | url = http://www.booksurge.com/Crescent-and-Claw-Vol.-1/A/1594574383.htm | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
On 29 April 2005 Ince launched Juniper Games, a label under which he would develop his own games.<ref name="ACG ">{{cite web | last1 =Barton | first1 =Matt | last2 = Jong | first2 = P. | title = Steve Ince| publisher =Adventure Classic Gaming | date = 1 October 2008| url = http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/381/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> He added a new website and announced his debut game, ''Juniper Crescent – The Sapphire Claw'',<ref name="Sapphire Claw">{{cite web | title = Juniper Crescent – The Sapphire Claw| publisher =Juniper Games| url = http://www.juniper-games.com/sapphire/sapphire.htm | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130126222203/http://www.juniper-games.com/sapphire/sapphire.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 26 January 2013 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> based on his comic strip ''Scout the One-Eyed cat.''<ref name="Sapphire Claw 2">{{cite web | last = Allin | first = Jack| title = Juniper Crescent – The Sapphire Claw| publisher = Adventure Gamers| date = 28 April 2005 | url = http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,519 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050429064928/http://www.adventuregamers.com/article/id,519/ | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 29 April 2005 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Adventure-Treff">{{cite web | last = Schneider| first =Jan | title = Steve Ince| publisher = Adventure-Treff | date = 4 May 2005| url = http://www.adventure-treff.de/artikel/interviews.php?id=35&lang=eng | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> Because of lack of funding the game, with its complex art and animation, wasn't finished.<ref name="Aventura y CÍA">{{cite web | last1 = Cadenas | first1 = J.| last2 = García | first2= P. |last3 = Martínez | first3 = V. | title = Interview with Steve Ince| publisher = Aventura y CÍA| date = August 2007| url = http://www.aventuraycia.com/entrevistas/en/steve-ince/page-3/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Adventure Developers">{{cite web| last =Broekhuis| first =Erwin| title =A word with Steve Ince| publisher =Adventure Developers (undated)| url =http://www.adventuredevelopers.com/featuredetail.php?action=view&featureid=36&showpage=1| accessdate =26 March 2012| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20120204225210/http://www.adventuredevelopers.com/featuredetail.php?action=view&featureid=36&showpage=1| archivedate =4 February 2012}}</ref> During this time he also worked as script editor on ''Wanted: A Wild Western Adventure'' (Revistronic, 2004), as writer on ''The Three Musketeers'' (Legendo, 2005), and as script editor on ''Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None'' (Awe Games, 2005).<ref name="Steve Ince's Projects"/>
On 26 August 2005 Ince announced a new company, InceSight, through which he offered his skills and experience to those developers and publishers in need of a proven professional in the fields of writing and game design.<ref name="INceSIGHT Press Release ">{{cite web | title = INceSIGHT Press Release | publisher = Steve Ince's blog Writing and Design | date = 26 August 2005| url = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/blog/2005/08/incesight-press-release.html | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> On 16 November 2005, ''Juniper Games'' presented an arcade-style adventure game entitled ''Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso.''<ref name="Juniper Games site re-design and two new games announced! ">{{cite web | title = Juniper Games site re-design and two new games announced! | publisher = Steve Ince's blog Writing and Design | date = 16 November 2005| url = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/blog/?p=360 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso interview">{{cite web | last1 = Danyboy| last2 = Trudysgarden | title = Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso – An Interview with Steve Ince| publisher = Mystery Manor | date = 14 November 2006| url = http://mysterymanor.net/libintvmrsnoozles.htm| accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> The game was based on his online serial comic strip ''Mr. Smoozles'',<ref name="Snoozles">{{cite web | title = Mr. Smoozles | publisher = Steve Ince's website| url = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/smoozles/smoozles.htm | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> and featured an original soundtrack by composer Josh Winiberg. It went on sale in September 2006, and was made available to download for free in June 2008.<ref name="Snoozles 2">{{cite web | title = Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso | publisher = Juniper Games| url = http://www.juniper-games.com/smoozles/smoozles.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060216021527/http://juniper-games.com/smoozles/smoozles.htm | url-status = usurped | archive-date = 16 February 2006 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
Besides working on new games in this period, Ince also wrote a book called ''Writing for Video Games'' (A & C Black, 2006). His book, with a foreword by Revolution's Tony Warriner, deals with all aspects of game production and the writer's role in the development process, and which skills are required. It includes for instance chapters on "Interactive Narrative" and "Dialog and Logic", and examples of a design document and script are added. Previously he had already written on game design,<ref name="Fingers">{{cite web|last=Ince |first=Steve |title=My fingers are blistered and bleeding: writing for games |publisher=Gignews at WayBack Machine |date=July 2004 |url=http://www.gignews.com/careerfeatures/gamewriter.htm |accessdate=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040703025531/http://www.gignews.com/careerfeatures/gamewriter.htm |archivedate=3 July 2004 }}</ref><ref name="Interaction Density">{{cite web|last=Ince |first=Steve |title=Interaction Density: Has the Player Got Plenty to Do? |publisher=GameDaily at WayBack Machine |date=15 March 2005 |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interaction-density-has-the-player-got-plenty-to-do/67606/?biz=1 |accessdate=26 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224220548/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interaction-density-has-the-player-got-plenty-to-do/67606/?biz=1 |archivedate=24 December 2008 }}</ref> and in 2006–2007 he wrote down more of his ideas in a series on ''Developing Thoughts''.<ref name="Developing thoughts ">{{cite web | title = Developing Thoughts | publisher = Steve Ince's blog Writing and Design | url = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/blog/?s=developing+thought | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> After the extensive series Ince continued to publish on aspects of game design.<ref name="The Conversation">{{cite web | last = Ince| first =Steve | title = The Conversation| website =MCV | publisher = Develop | date = 16 June 2010| url = http://www.develop-online.net/features/905/The-Conversation | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Puzzles 1">{{cite web | last = Ince| first =Steve | title = Designing Puzzles Backwards (Part I)| publisher = Game Design Aspect of the Month | date = 21 October 2010| url = https://gamedesignaspect.blogspot.com/2010/10/designing-puzzles-backwards-part-i.html | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Puzzles 2">{{cite web | last = Ince| first =Steve | title = Designing Puzzles Backwards (Part II)| publisher = Game Design Aspect of the Month | date = 29 October 2010| url = https://gamedesignaspect.blogspot.com/2010/10/designing-puzzles-backwards-part-ii.html| accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
Other games Ince worked on since then are ''The Witcher'' (CD Projekt Red, 2007); ''Delicious – Emily's Tea Garden'' (GameHouse, 2008); ''So Blonde'' (Wizarbox, 2008); ''Delicious – Emily's Holiday Season'' (GameHouse, 2009); ''Rhianna Ford and the Da Vinci Letter'' (Green Clover Games, 2010); ''Alice in Wonderland'' (Gimagin/Merscom, 2010); ''Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand that Feeds'' (Floodlight Games, 2010), ''So Blonde: Back to the Island'' (Wizarbox, 2010), and ''The Whispered World'' (Daedalic Entertainment, 2010).<ref name="Steve Ince's Projects">{{cite web| last =Ince| first =Steve| title =Projects| publisher =Steve Ince's website| url =http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/projects.htm| accessdate =26 March 2012| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20120326044950/http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/projects.htm| archivedate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
For ''So Blonde'' Ince was contacted by Wizarbox, whose crew had already done some concept work of the main character, some of the locations, and they had an idea for the story. They brought Ince in to develop the story, but in a way he became the public face of the game,<ref name="Gorilla">{{cite web | last = Clausen| first = Peter | title = Interview with Steve Ince | publisher = G Wie Gorilla| year = 2008| url = http://www.g-wie-gorilla.de/component/option,com_alphacontent/section,13/cat,18/task,view/id,777/Itemid,23/| accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> and he went to Leipzig and Paris on promotional tours.
Ince got involved with Revolution again when they started working on remakes of the first two ''Broken Sword'' games for newer platforms: ''Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars – Director's Cut'' and ''Broken Sword: The Smoking Mirror – Remastered''. During this time he also worked on Spare Parts (EA Bright Light, 2010), ''Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand that Feeds'' (Floodlight Games, 2011), ''The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings'' (CD Projekt Red, 2011), and ''ScanMe'' (ScanMe.com, 2011).<ref name="Steve Ince's Projects"/>
''Special Enquiry Detail: The Hand that Feeds,'' written and designed by Ince, is one of his casual/hidden object games.<ref name="GameZebo ">{{cite web | last = Carter| first =Vanessa | title = A smart mystery where the detectives are better seen than heard. | publisher = GameZebo | date =27 May 2010 | url = http://www.gamezebo.com/games/special-enquiry-detail/review | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> The critically acclaimed detective adventure game debuted on the Mac App Store in January 2012.<ref name="Mac version">{{cite web | title = G5 Entertainment brings Special Enquiry Detail: the Hand that Feeds to Mac on January 5| website = Gamasutra | date =21 December 2011| url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/81335/G5_Entertainment_brings_Special_Enquiry_Detail_the_Hand_thatFeeds_to_Mac_on_January_5.php | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130123195643/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/81335/G5_Entertainment_brings_Special_Enquiry_Detail_the_Hand_thatFeeds_to_Mac_on_January_5.php | url-status = dead | archive-date = 23 January 2013 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> It was followed by a sequel, ''Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill'' (G5 Entertainment, March 2012).<ref name="Launch trailer">{{cite web | title = Special Enquiry Detail: Engaged to Kill Launch Trailer| website = GameSpot | url = http://www.gamespot.com/special-enquiry-detail-engaged-to-kill/videos/special-enquiry-detail-engaged-to-kill-launch-trailer-6366193/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> ''So Blonde'' also got a follow-up, ''Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle'' (Wizarbox, 2012), that is set back in pirate times.<ref name="Captain Morgane website">{{cite web | title = Captain Morgane website| publisher = Captain Morgane website | url = http://www.captainmorgane.com/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> Ince gave some video interviews to introduce the game.<ref name="Captain Morgane interview 1">{{cite web | title =Steve Ince Captain Morgane Interview| publisher =Reef Entertainment Ltd.| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taLnzdq9PDI| accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="Captain Morgane interview 2">{{cite web | title = Captain Morgane and the Golden Turtle -Steve Ince Interview Trailer| publisher = GameReactor| date =1 March 2012| url = http://www.gamereactor.eu/grtv/?id=24471 | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
{{As of|February 2012}} Ince was represented by the SMART Talent agency.<ref name="Agency representation ">{{cite web | title = Agency representation Smart Talent| publisher = Steve Ince's blog Writing and Design | date = 23 February 2012 | url = http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/blog/ | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref>
===Award nominations=== For ''Broken Sword: The Sleeping Dragon'', Ince received a nomination for Excellence in Writing at the Game Developers Choice Awards 2004.<ref name="Game Developers Choice Awards ">{{cite web | title = 4th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards| publisher = Game Developers Choice Awards | year = 2004 | url = http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_4th.html | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> In 2008 he received another nomination from the Writers' Guild of Great Britain in the category of Best Video Game Script for ''So Blonde''.<ref name="The Writers' Guild blog ">{{cite web | title = Writer's Guild Awards 2008 Shortlists Announced| publisher = The Writers' Guild blog | date =20 September 2008| url = https://writersguild.blogspot.com/2008/09/writers-guild-awards-2008-shortlist.html | accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref><ref name="An Interview with Steve Ince">{{cite web| last =Noon| first =Gemma| title =An Interview with Steve Ince| publisher =The Literary Project| date =9 April 2010| url =https://theliteraryproject.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-with-steve-ince.html| accessdate =26 March 2012| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20120313102432/http://theliteraryproject.blogspot.com/2010/04/interview-with-steve-ince.html| archivedate =13 March 2012}}</ref>
===Personal life=== Ince lives with his partner, June, in the East Yorkshire countryside. They have a tabby cat, Merlin, and fish in the garden pond. He has three sons, Shaun, David and Jason,<ref name="It happened so fast">{{cite web | title = It Happened So Fast| publisher =WordPress | url =http://ithappenedsofast.wordpress.com/| accessdate =26 March 2012}}</ref> as well as five granddaughters, Caitlin, Leilani, Selene, Freya and Ariana, and a grandson, Louie.<ref name="About Steve Ince ">{{cite web| title =About Steve Ince| publisher =Steve Ince's website| url =http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/info.htm| accessdate =26 March 2012| url-status =dead| archiveurl =https://web.archive.org/web/20120326175309/http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/info.htm| archivedate =26 March 2012}}</ref> On his website ''Steve Ince, Writer, Game Designer'' he has a blog on ''Writing and Design,'' and he also writes a more personal blog called ''It Happened So Fast.''<ref name="It happened so fast"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/ Website Steve Ince, Writer, Game Designer] *[http://www.steve-ince.co.uk/blog/ Steve Ince's blog ''Writing and Design''] *[http://www.game-nostalgia.com/biographies/steve_ince/steve_ince_revolution_software_biography_1.html Game Nostalgia] ''Steve Ince biography'' *[http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,6908/ Moby Games] ''Steve Ince''
{{Revolution Software}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ince, Steve}} Category:1958 births Category:British video game designers Category:Living people Category:People from York