If there’s any one thing to know about Will Rogers, it’s that he’s a Blair Witch superfan in every sense of the word. So when he was asked to be a writer for our Blair Witch series, he naturally jumped at the chance and, in addition to being on the writing team for the main storyline, he produced a fun in-game podcast called “Superneutral.”
The podcast isn’t something you can find on your Apple Podcast or Spotify app, though. Instead, it’s an embedded as an extra layer of immersive storytelling within our Hunt A Killer: Blair Witch experience that players may stumble across… if they’re looking in the right place, that is!
“When players first sign up for the Blair Witch series, they’re going to get an in-character email from some of the people they encounter in the story and they will establish parts of the world that players can uncover bit-by-bit,” said Will.
One of those emails contains a description of two fictional podcasters named James and Ed who have a show called “Superneutral.” James is a paranormal and cryptid skeptic, while Ed is a full-blown believer. The two lifelong friends have debates over whether the spooky events unfolding in Burkittsville, Maryland are real while discussing other well-known cryptids and urban legends.
“Our podcasters’ jumping off point is: ‘it’s happening again. Something is happening in Burkittsville right now,’” said Will.
Hunt A Killer mysteries in general are known for being tactile, tabletop experiences, but not many people realize that many of our mysteries involve digital elements that help deepen the storyline in fresh, new ways.
“It’s almost like playing through an amazing TV show or a book,” said Will, “and that puts the onus on you to decide how much you can solve. It’s really up to you and your level of curiosity. I think with Blair Witch and the podcast we’ve really been able to get into a rich sort of analysis of the story that the players are digging into.”
In terms of the classic “Blair Witch” creep-factor, Superneutral dives deep into other creatures and monsters that people might have heard about but maybe don’t necessarily know the full story behind them. The podcast keeps the mood light and slightly comical while dishing out the important info on legends like the story of the Bell Witch from Adams, Tennessee.
If you’re new to Hunt A Killer’s mysteries or new to Blair Witch, it’s important to know that there are so many details and Easter eggs that are easily missed (that’s why we encourage Members to continue going over the materials even after you’ve reached the objective for any particular box).
Members will see the Superneutral podcast again in Blair Witch season two as it continues to expand the world even more while bringing in new voices.
“I don’t want to say too much, but the podcast becomes very important as the story develops in Season two,” said Will.
For any questions regarding Blair Witch and/or Superneutral, you can ask Will on Twitter @TheMythTraveler and also be sure to check out the podcast he shares with his sister, Kristen, called “Guide to the Unknown Podcast.”