In our last blog post, we shared the story of Tesouro: a pirate-themed game project for families that we developed on behalf of a local client in Caminha, Portugal. In the pine forest of Camarido, players follow a message in a bottle, decipher ancient symbols and ultimately decide for themselves how their treasure hunt will end.
With Heart of the North Sea, things remain decidedly pirate-themed, but this time, the adventure moves from the Portuguese Atlantic coast to the North Sea.
The new game concept builds on many of the experiences we gained from Tesouro: a strong story, voiced dialogues, custom illustrations, family-friendly puzzles, recurring characters, decision-making moments and a dramaturgy that draws players deeper into the story from spot to spot.
At the same time, we are taking the idea a step further. Heart of the North Sea is not just designed as a single game, but as an adaptable city template: initially launching as an outdoor experience in Aurich, with the potential to be transferred to other East Frisian towns in the future.
At the heart of the game is an old message in a bottle dating back to the year 1401. It contains the last will of Geske (Klaus Störtebeker’s widow) and refers to a plot of land at the harbour that legally belongs to the Wiarda family.
Today, this very plot of land is at the centre of a conflict. Hauke Wiarda, a former pilot, owns an old harbour house there. But Aldrik Wendt from BLACKSAIL Heritage Resorts GmbH is planning a large hotel resort called “Heart of the North” on the harbour grounds. The city has sold the land but if Geske’s will and the corresponding compass are found, it could turn out that this sale was never legally valid.
Players support Hauke’s granddaughter Theda, her grandfather Hauke and the klabauter Knuut in their search for the compass. Along the way, they follow clues, solve puzzles, decipher symbols and move step by step closer to the truth.
As with Tesouro, Heart of the North Sea relies on a narrative structure driven by strong characters.
Theda Wiarda is 17 years old, determined and the first Wiarda in a long time to read Geske’s letter. Her grandfather Hauke knows the old symbols and understands what is at stake. And then there is Knuut: a 625-year-old klabauter who was sealed inside an oil jug during the storm surge of 1962 and has now awakened again.
Together, they form a crew that the players join. They are not just spectators, but become part of the story. They help, combine clues, make decisions and ultimately take responsibility for how the story ends.
Aldrik Wendt appears as the antagonist. However, he is not a classic villain. He represents a hotel project that promises to create jobs, while at the same time standing for the potential loss of property, history and local identity. This creates a compelling conflict that cannot simply be resolved in black and white terms.
One important difference compared to Tesouro is the stronger local connection. The outdoor version of Heart of the North Sea guides players through Aurich and uses real places as part of the dramaturgy.
The route leads, among other places, from Aurich harbour via Georgswall to Lambertikirche. GPS-triggered spots, local clues, inscriptions, bollards, real-world anchors and historical references are woven into the game.
This creates an experience that could not simply take place anywhere, but is deliberately connected to the city. The location is not just a backdrop. It becomes part of the game. Players discover Aurich through the story, and the story unfolds through Aurich.
In addition to the outdoor version, an indoor version is also being developed. It can be played independently of location and works without GPS. The crew can experience the adventure, for example, in a holiday apartment, hotel room, café, group room or at home.
In this mode, the app guides players through a fictional harbour house world. The story remains the same, but the environment is staged digitally. This makes Heart of the North Sea much more flexible in terms of use.
For tourism offers, this is particularly exciting: an outdoor version is ideal for good weather, city walks and active groups. An indoor version can complement it for rainy days, holiday apartments, hotels or group activities.
The game combines two types of tasks.
On the one hand, there are story-based puzzles that are closely connected to the characters, the compass, the message in a bottle, the will and the search for proof. These tasks are largely location-independent and can be reused across different editions.
On the other hand, there are location-specific puzzles that refer to concrete points in the city. In the Aurich version, these may include tasks at the harbour, at an inscription, by the bollards, at Lambertikirche or at other local anchor points.
This combination makes the concept particularly interesting: four to six location-specific puzzles create a strong local connection, while the overarching story structure remains flexible. This means the game can later be transferred relatively easily to other East Frisian towns. Primarily, coordinates, photos, local facts and individual tasks need to be adapted while the characters, basic storyline, audio and central game mechanics remain in place.
As with Tesouro, custom illustrations play an important role in Heart of the North Sea. The characters and scenes gain their own visual identity, making the story more accessible, emotional and memorable.
Voice acting is also a central part of the concept. Theda, Hauke, Knuut, Wendt and other voices guide players through the adventure. This is complemented by atmospheric sounds such as seagulls, waves, wind, church bells and harbour noises.
The result is not just a puzzle tour, but a staged game experience. Players do not simply read tasks — they hear voices, encounter characters and immerse themselves in a northern German harbour world.
At the end of Heart of the North Sea, players once again face a decision. And just like in Tesouro, there is not only one correct solution.
Players must weigh their options: Should the will be enforced, even if that could cost people their jobs? Should Hauke make a pact and give up ownership in favour of a compromise? Or should the compass be sunk so that no one can claim it, even if that means Hauke loses his house?
Every decision comes at a price. This makes the finale more emotional and more mature than a classic “treasure found, game won” ending. The story does not end with a simple reward, but with a genuine choice.
With Heart of the North Sea, we are taking the experiences from Tesouro further. A successful pirate adventure becomes a new format that combines local history, digital game mechanics, audio, illustration and real places.
The adaptability of the concept is particularly exciting. The game is structured in such a way that it does not only work in Aurich. The basic idea can be transferred to other East Frisian towns: with new spots, new local puzzles and adapted images, but the same narrative foundation.
This creates a flexible game concept for cities, tourism regions, holiday destinations, hosts, museums, leisure attractions and group programmes.
Heart of the North Sea shows how a single game idea can become a reusable yet locally rooted format.
At espoto, we develop concepts like this individually: from the first idea to story, game mechanics and puzzle development, all the way to illustrations, voice acting, indoor and outdoor versions and technical implementation in the espoto software.
Whether it is a pirate adventure, historical city tour, family puzzle game, museum format, holiday programme or team event — we develop game concepts that bring places to life and actively involve people.
Would you like to develop your own game for your city, location or tourism offer? Get in touch with us. Together, we will find out which story your place can tell and how to turn it into a playable experience.
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