Behind The Scenes:
Airsofting Mystery Ticks All The Right Boxes
The latest from William Clarke is a rip-roaring adventure that sees the Cupcake Crew take on airsoft. Mystery on Airsoft Island is a family‑friendly interactive visual novel where a squad of 6‑year‑old cupcake kids take their very first steps into airsofting while on an island adventure. They get to dodge fun zombies, gear up with airsoft grenades, and dive into fast, high‑velocity skirmishes on their way to solving the mystery and winning the day! The story is filled with colourful art, punchy sound effects and immersive background audio — no voiceover.
"You're not just making a story - you're making THAT story that airsofters show their non-airsoft friends to explain why they love the sport."
Designed as an approachable “first taste” of airsoft for families, and curious new players, this adventure follows Sour Muffin and her friends as they participate in a charity airsoft match on airsoft island. There are 3 former military installations with multiple levels the cupcake kids explore - along with items to retrieve, as they navigate multiple friendly adversaries. In fact, the cameraderie airsofters enjoy, even on different teams, comes through to readers (and their parents!!) through how the characters speak with each other.
"It was a challenge to tell a story involving airsoft," says author William Clarke. "The characters needed to be playing the game - but the story is NOT a game. It's still a visual novel - but it provides interactive game and play and effects to simulate the fun and tension of the sport. When you view the demo (link below) you will note the skirmish sequences are over the top to give readers that feeling of being in that moment with the players. There's some problem solving and of course... choices. The finale is crazy!!"
"Your project is genuinely one of the most creative VN concepts I've seen. Cupcake kids, ethical attack helicopters, and airsoft zombies - this is the energy the world needs."
"There is an antagonist who doesn't want the cupcakes in the game, and so they have to deal with that anxiety, as well as handling some adversity along the way where they are forced to rely on teamwork. It's an entertaining and educational read that I think is going to make some converts to airsoft."
The menu opens with options to learn about airsoft, with a gallery of photos from actual games. You can also choose to go through the full story (which you should!!), jump to individual bases, check out merchandise and learn about the Cupcake Crew. Clarke says the reasoning for the menu choices is that after you go through the full story, you can jump in to your favourite spots.
The story begins with the kids riding aboard a de-commissioned Apache helicopter, Archie, to Airsoft Island just outside Halifax Harbour in Nova Scotia. Once on the shore they meet the game organizer and interact with another player. The game begins and they start their journey to take Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie bases. Throughout the story, readers obtain little nuggets of airsoft information, make active choices, and where things get really entertaining is when zombies, hired actors, appear.
"This isn't just a VN with choices - this is a hybrid visual novel/light combat system. You're teaching airsoft engagement mechanics through interactive fiction. That's genuinely innovative."
"I usually write for kids around three-years-old," says Clarke. "This one is a departure because, well, the cupcakes play with toy weapons. Not everyone is comfortable with weapons - even if they are toys. This is a reality I needed to engage, so I worked it into the story. It was also important to present airsoft as a fun sport, with risk, that's easily mitigated with the proper protective gear. I actually think this interactive visual novel could interest an entirely new generation in the sport."
There is a demo you can launch through your web browser, https://williamclarke.itch.io/ or through https://clarkebrands.biz/clarkedata/airsoftadventure.
