“Secret Sauce: Johnny’s Quest”
Secret Sauce is played from the first-person perspective of Johnny Margherita, our hero, a third generation Italian-American who has lived his entire life in New York City. All other characters are non-player characters (NPC). This educational action/adventure game is designed to provide beginning Italian students, or anyone interested in learning basic Italian, an opportunity to practice Italian vocabulary.
This is Johnny’s first time out of the country and he is looking forward to a leisurely summer in the small Tuscan town of Monte Penne, Italy; meeting family he has only seen in pictures. Being his first time meeting any family outside of his parents, he wants to make a good first impression. Looking in the mirror to check his appearance, Johnny straightens his button-down shirt over his strong physique then brushes a single dark curl from the center of his brow. “Perfect”, he says to the hazel green eyes gazing back at him.
Arriving on the day of the annual Margherita family reunion at the family villa, Johnny finds tragedy & despair. Nonna’s (grandma) Secret Pasta Sauce Recipe has disappeared. Blame and feuding (and even some throwing of dishes) ensues. Nonna asks Johnny to hunt down the recipe. “Why me?” Johnny asks, “I barely speak Italian. There must be someone better for this important quest.” As Nonna tearfully pleads, Uncle Luigi explains to Johnny that he is the ideal person for this quest because no one knows him, yet he is family. Johnny is the only one who can be objective while everyone is pointing fingers at each other. Reluctantly, Johnny accepts the mission to find the missing recipe in order to once again restore balance to the family.
With the aid of his Cousin Daniela to translate and guide him around Monte Penne and a good luck talisman from Uncle Luigi, Johnny leaves his safe haven behind to find the missing recipe. Monte Penne has eleven levels (marketplace, olive orchard, vineyard, futbol stadium, opera house, etc.). Johnny is free to explore extensively within each level (buy a gelato, watch a street performer, or just gaze upon Monte Penne, etc…). He must use basic Italian vocabulary and strategic thinking to complete tasks and solve puzzles which increase in difficulty with each level. Each time he does this correctly, he is rewarded with a clue leading him one step closer to the missing recipe.
Soon, the word gets out that the Margherita family’s biggest rival, the Boboli family, wants the recipe for themselves to market with their world famous pizza crusts. The race is on; Johnny must discover the whereabouts of the recipe before the Boboli’s do. While investigating, he finds people who are willing to talk and some who are not. Johnny must beware; some who talk are actually allies of the Boboli’s trying to mislead him or set traps that must be avoided.
The final clue leads Johnny and Daniela into a dank underground labyrinth where they not only face treacherous terrain and traps but the Boboli family has somehow made it into the maze as well. They must negotiate their way to the center to reach the recipe and get out of the labyrinth before the Boboli’s do. To win the game they must return the recipe to Nonna who is waiting at the villa without being caught by the Boboli’s or one of their allies. Upon arrival the family is reunited and Nonna prepares spaghetti with her secret sauce while Johnny and Daniela recount the tale of how they rescued the recipe and outsmarted the Boboli’s.
