1939. As the world stood on the brink of total war, an unexpected supernatural threat emerges on the seas: ghostly ships that rise from the mists preying indiscriminately on military and civilians alike. Apparently in response, several of the world’s military ships have manifested avatars, all in the forms of beautiful women. Each of these Belles chooses their own captain to lead them…and you have been chosen.

In the face of the new threat, while wars continue to be fought on land, the League of Nations has forged a naval truce and formed a joint fleet to combat the ghost ships, colloquially known as Morganas.

Players progress through missions following several storylines for each Belle ship, including a main plot which can branch into either a friendship or romance story and shorter ‘premium’ (via in-app purchase) side-stories. Each story ‘scene’ segues into a battle against the Morganas; while the actual encounters are handled by the game designers, the writer can specify story-appropriate parameters such as weather, or a boss fight against a named Morgana ship. Each story includes a choice dialog for the player, although they are mostly cosmetic role-playing choices.

The art, character sketch, background lore and most of the main story were provided by the main team of Black Chicken Studios; contributing writers worked with them to flesh out the branches. The Belles’ characters and their storylines drew heavily on their real-world origins and the history of the period. The Belles also represent a diverse spectrum of the political attitudes of their respective nations: a challenge for the writer working with Belle protagonists from the Axis powers. (One, I think, I did pretty well; I kept getting assigned them!)

Samples:

Because Victory Belles has not yet been released, these pages are password protected to avoid revealing information prematurely. The password will be provided to prospective clients and employers.

Kongou – Imperial Japanese fast battleship – A proper lady with a passion for fashion and a love of tea. Her British-built origin shows in an appreciation for Western culture, but she is devoted to the Japanese Emperor and the dream of a strong Japan on the world stage.

  • “Kongou Goes North” – a side-story. Can Kongou’s poise hold out against an Arctic mission against a feared nemesis?

Antoniotto Usodimare – Royal Italian Navy destroyer – A loose and carefree woman who loves carousing, singing and shiny treasure.

Conte di Cavour – Royal Italian Navy Battleship – A serious and smart woman who lives by the philosophies of Machiavelli and breathes political intrigue. Her admiration of Mussolini is problematic, but behind it is real devotion to her country.