Elliot Wolf, the son of Dick Wolf, executive producer and creator of Law and Order, is taking part in a new venture aimed at attracting true crime fans.
He is working with co-founders Andrew Adashek (CEO) and Noah Rosenberg (CTO) to develop Wolf Games, a new startup that uses AI to create everyday murder mystery games. The company also announced a $4 million seed funding round on Wednesday.
Wolf Games' flagship title is called Public Eye and takes advantage of the growing interest among real crime enthusiasts who love to play detectives.
Public Eye is set in a dystopian future where crime rates have skyrocketed until law enforcement thinks it's a wise idea to seek support from its citizens. Players gather clues, stitch the evidence together, and seek the help of an AI assistant. This will guide them through investigation and provide tips for solving crimes.
However, creating new murder mystery for players to solve daily is a high order. To tackle this, Wolf Games leverages AI engines that help teams of writers to boost new cases.
AI takes inspiration from headlines published by major news sources such as CBS and NBC. Like Law & Order, one of the longest-running true crime dramas in television history, the company says the in-game story is primarily fictional and inspired by these headlines rather than being directly copied.
In addition to creating stories, AI is also used to generate interview clips and crime scene photos.
“In one click, we take this linear story and make it completely interactive and playable,” Wolf told TechCrunch, adding that top AI models like Gemini will be used to ensure character consistency throughout the story.
“If a character gets a scar on his face midway through the story, each time that character appears, they will have a scar,” Wolf explained.
Image credits: Wolf Game
We tested the game ourselves. There they tried to solve the shopkeeper's murder. The suspects included a sketchy intern, a drunken boyfriend and a disgusted daughter. For stories generated primarily by AI, it was surprisingly ok, and even had an unexpected twist at the end. (It is worth noting that it is difficult to get wrong in a true crime story, given the abundant real-life events that can inspire dramatic stories.)
The game's true crime genre is very competitive, but we believe its founders have the expertise to attract important audiences.
The investor caliber also tells a compelling story. The pre-seeding round included participation from Dick Wolf, Beat co-founder Jimmy Iovin and United Talent Agency chairman Paul Wachter.
Public Eye will be on sale on the web this summer. Free play with optional in-app purchases. If you want to give a shot, you need to join the waitlist.
In the future, Wolf Games is considering working with IP holders to adapt television shows to new games.
It's worth noting that Hollywood executives continue to launch AI startups. In particular, consider the strike in 2023, when AI use was a controversial issue. The Oscar-winning film The Brutalist is the latest example of a production that has faced backlash from viewers to use AI's audio tools.
However, despite the industry's commitment to AI's meaning, many celebrities, such as Ashton Kutcher and Will.I.Am, have invested in AI ventures, demonstrating their desire to use this technology for entertainment.