Jane Jensen joined Sierra On-line as a writer/designer in 1991, leaving behind a career as a software engineer. She designed classic adventure games at Sierra including King’s Quest VI (with Roberta Williams) and the Gabriel Knight series. In the early 2000’s, she co-founded Oberon Media and designed puzzle and hidden object games while there, including a James Patterson series of hidden object games and “Dying for Daylight”. After a successful Kickstarter in 2012, Jensen began a studio called Pinkerton Road and published Moebius: Empire Rising and a 20th anniversary edition of Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers. She’s the author of over 20 novels, writing mystery/thrilllers under Jane Jensen and romance under Eli Easton.

THIS PROFILE WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED MARCH 2016

Name: Jane Jensen
Vocation: Writer/Game Designer
Years of experience: 25 years
Location: Pennsylvania

Shipped game titles:
EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus (1991) (writer)
Police Quest III: The Kindred (1991) (writer)
The Dagger of Amon Ra (1992) (voice actor)
King’s Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992) (co-designer, co-writer)
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993) (designer, director, writer)
Pepper’s Adventures in Time (1993) (designer)
The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery (1995) (designer, writer)
Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned (1999) (designer, writer)
Inspector Parker (2003) (designer)
BeTrapped! (2004) (designer)
Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile (2007) (designer, director)
Agatha Christie: Peril at End House (2007) (designer, director)
Women’s Murder Club: Death in Scarlet (2007) (designer, director)
Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets (2008) (designer, director)
Women’s Murder Club: A Darker Shade of Grey (2008) (designer, director)
Agatha Christie: Dead Man’s Folly (2009) (creative director)
Women’s Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (2009) (designer, director)
Deadtime Stories (2009) (creator, designer, director)
Gray Matter (2010) (designer, writer)
Dying for Daylight (2011) (designer, director)
Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller (2012-2013) (story consultant)
Moebius: Empire Rising (2014) (creator, designer, director, writer)
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition (2014) (creative director, designer)

1. What are you currently reading and/or playing?
I’m listening to the audio books for Linda Castillo’s Amish mystery series.

2. First time you knew you wanted to work in games was…?
Around 1989 I got my first home PC and bought a host of Sierra titles at the mall. I played King’s Quest IV and was instantly hooked on adventure games.

3. What was your favorite success?
It was incredibly exciting when the first Gabriel Knight game made the cover of Computer Gaming World.
Gabriel Knight cover

4. What’s the best advice you ever got?
The only way you can avoid criticism is to never do anything. 🙂

5. Share one thing few know about you.
I’m one of those sappy people who cry over dog videos. My husband and I are both huge animal lovers—and vegan.

6. What’s one thing or trend you’re most excited about in the industry?
Seeing more diversity including LGBT.

7. Anything else you want to add?
I looked back on that Sierra studio in Oakhurst as amazingly creative years. I’m so glad I was able to be a part of that. Career highlight for sure.

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