Fact Sheet
Developers
Kelcey Gray and Jessie Contour
Founding Date
2024
Website
dropcapsgame.com
Press/Business Contact
contour.j@gmail.com
Instagram
@kelcey_gray
Press and Features
Article: Dropcaps: A Word Game with a Medieval Spin featured at Middle Ages in Modern Games Asynchronous Conference
Description
Dropcaps combines elements of familiar grid-based game mechanics—spelling words á la Scrabble and falling tiles like those in Tetris—with unique gameplay derived from the architecture of the medieval page. Large decorative drop caps push down from the top of the board. Players must maneuver and position the small sans-serif letter tiles around the drop caps to spell words. Successfully-spelled words must relate to the theme of each level, adding a layer of intellectual difficulty to the game. Dropcaps encourages a monastic kind of focus—the board remains still until the player moves, rewarding patience and strategy. Players who spell ten words are rewarded with medieval quippery in the form of fun facts from medievalist Dr. Maureen Quigley.
Developer Bios
Kelcey Gray is a graphic designer, author, and educator who works with words and explores the possibilities of typography and lettering. She is the author of Let’s Make Letters! From PAPress and currently teaches design and typography. Within these fields, her focus has recently been on developing workshops—with institutions like Letterform Archive and Type Director’s Club—and interactive, narrative-based experiences to increase access to typographic education.
Jessie Contour is a creative technologist, designer, animator, educator, and maker. She has worked with AAA video game studios, museums, educational programs, and startups. Within these fields, her focus has been on creating interactive experiences for art, play, and education. She has built digital tools for news literacy and community engagement, designed a permanent exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History to teach children about earthquakes, and launched video games as part of a global team.
Both Jessie and Kelcey are Associate Professors of Practice in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at the University of Texas at Austin.
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