NewHome

Design/

Philosophy

We believe that game development should be about creating engaging experiences and fostering a healthy community around those experiences. We believe that microtransactions, and the quest of ever expanding profits, plays in complete contradiction to that goal, so we as a company commit to not including them in any game, ever.

Our/

Games

Let your freak flag fly Knotty Giraffe style. Giraffe's are allergic to loose collars and itchy fabric so you won't find any of that here. Quality, comfortable.

Our/

Games

JET HEADS

Early 2024

Target Platforms

Jet Heads is an exciting third person competitive and cooperative racing experience based on early 90s Jet Ski racing and drenched in 90s pop culture. Race against your friends online, or mix it up with one of the mini-games, like Bowling, where you'll battle through the waves to for a chance at the pins. Feel the passion and excitement with next-generation visuals, water and jet ski physics.

Jet Heads World Finals

We're throwing the kitchen sink at Jet Heads to make it the generation's go-to watersports game. Expect physics and visuals that bring back the butterflies of generation changes while being transported back to a most hilarious decade.

Next-Gen Tech

We're throwing the kitchen sink at Jet Heads to make it the generation's go-to watersports game. Expect physics and visuals that bring back the butterflies of generation changes while being transported back to a most hilarious decade.

Advanced Physics

Not only do the Jet Ski's rip, just like your favorite 90's stand-up, they also function and feel like the real thing. As you shred, the waves will provide an unpredictable challenge as your wake impacts those around competitors around you.

Online Multiplayer

Whether you're looking for a relaxing ride, or shredding the competition Jet Heads is setup to provide you with a way to have fun. Our competitive modes include World Finals like events, as well as fun mini-games like Bowling or Canyon Run.

Mini-Games

Mix up the racing with fun, technically stunning mini-games that transcend the genre. Each can be played online or through local split screen play.

Bowling

Compete solo or against friends in this epic version of bowling. Players will compete in a massive stadium filled with the most rabid of bowling fans as they launch their Jet Skis down an oversized bowling lane at massive pins. You witness each shot from every angle, as the physics system works to bring the realism to this gorgeous take on a fan favorite mini-game.

Bratty Birthday

The local Mean Girl is throwing a party and you’re the main source of entertainment. In this mode you’ll pilot the Jet Ski in a backyard pool pulling tricks to avoid the taunts of your annoying neighbor. Can you keep the crowd, and, most importantly, the birthday girl happy as the conditions worsen with her mood?

Fog Tag

Each map is densely covered in fog and every rider has a glow stick attached to their suits that gets brighter the faster they ride. You play on one offense or defense in this strategic game of tag. Bump into your opponents to pass the “It” and avoid being touched to survive. A timer keeps the game moving and the “It” player is removed before moving to the next round. Can you survive?

Co-op Modes

Come together with friends, or make some new ones, as you work together to complete challenges on the high seas.

Penguin Shuffle

Come to the rescue of a few stranded polar bears, but be sure not to fall in the water or it’ll be you that needs saving! In this mode, polar bears will need your help to access icebergs that can bridge the gaps to safety and away for the waiting jaws of killer whales. To really increase the challenge, players will encounter Unreal Engine’s Chaos destruction engine simulating the ice cracking when they’re hit too hard with the Jet Ski.

Big Ocean Cleanup

Can you and a partner coordinate the ends of a giant net to help collect trash in the deep ocean? Conditions and the trash you’ll collect will sometimes vary wildly as you compete with other groups to remove the most gunk and garbage from the ocean before the time expires. Do well enough and you’ll earn a thank you from mother nature to go with your experience points.

Unreal Engine 5 Water

We take Unreal Engine 5's water and Gerstner wave systems to the visual limit, while layering in custom buoyancy physics to bring our beautiful Jet Ski's to life. In addition, material functions draw realistic wake that can impact the players and world around you, creating one of the most engaging and realistic water experiences to date.

lumen and RayTracing

Not only does Jet Heads utilize the new features of UE5 with Nanite and Lumen, we have also given players the option of using Nvidia's Ray Tracing and Global Illumination, pushing the boundaries of every next-gen system and Nvidia's 4000 series GPU. Expect DLSS 3 to bring all the bells and whistles together with an incredibly smooth frame rate.

Azure PlayFab

Waves generated in Seattle perfectly represented for the player in New York. Azure PlayFab brings cross-platform play and takes racing on the waves to the next level. Due to the complexity of the task, we need high speed servers to deliver for our customers, and for that Azure PlayFab delivers.

MetaHumans

We take advantage of Epic's next-gen character creator to deliver beautiful characters that truly captures the unique style of the 90s.

Next-Generation PC Tech

From FSR to DLSS 3.0, we're injecting as much tech support into Jet Heads as we can. Expect settings optimized for Steam Deck and the 4000 series Nvidia GPUs, in addition to insight into console settings.

Custom settings profile for Steam Deck to ensure you can rip on the go.

RTX RayTracing, GI and DLSS 3.0 bring the 4000 series Nvidia cards to life.

Next-Gen Consoles

Quality and Performance Settings @ 60 FPS, Raytracing Options

Support for FSR 2.0, Freesync and RayTracing.

DirectStorage 1.1 Support for ultrafast loading on PC and Consoles.

ORDERS

TBA

Target Platforms

Orders is a complete reimagining of the FPS genre with a novel and innovative use of AI and Machine Learning to blur the line between multi-player and single-player based games. The player will feel connected to the experience on a new level as they engage with players from around the world in an attempt hold territory and complete orders.

Our/

Tech Stack

Knotty Giraffe specializes in game development with Unreal Engine 5. Utilizing Epic's robust game development engine, our small team has been able to create gameplay experiences and a visual fidelity rivaling AAA studios. Our focus on maximizing the new features of UE5 for next-gen consoles and PC hardware have positioned us to make an impact rare for a studio of our size and experience. Our takeover is powered by Unreal Engine 5.

AI Assisted Development

Knotty Giraffe has embraced their background in machine learning and applied it in simplifying the development process as the studio expands to full force. From sound development to lip animation, AI is helping a small studio compete.

AI Sound Development

Altered allows our developers to quickly bring idea to screen and provides our players with the variety and quality they'd expect from a AAA studio.

Azure Insights & ML

We leverage real-time, GDPR protected, insights for partner interest tracking, server capacity requirements and gameplay balancing.

Dall-E 2

Our team leverages Dall-E for storyboarding and content ideation, quickly syncing the team behind a single, clear vision of the final product.

About/

Us

We Are Gamers Making Games

Knotty Giraffe is a Redmond, Washington based game development studio founded by three US military veterans who spent their professional careers in the tech sector and are now making an impact where their passions and experience meet.

Where we stand on the issues...

Gameplay 1st Design

Modern Features

Deliver Quality Day 1

Microtransactions*

Deceptive Love Letters

Sell Used T-Shirts

*We realize this reduces the number of companies willing to partner with us and we don’t care.

Partners

Together we bring three decades of experience implementing innovative technologies in a variety of roles and industries; marketing and data analytics, technical project management and machine learning and AI. After finding success in those roles, they felt the call to bring that experience to an industry where they had a passion, and one that seems to have become less and less driven by it.

Karin Draughn, PMP

Partner, Creative Lead

10 years of Project Management in creative and software engineering.

Karin's experience leading creative projects led to the adoption of Dall-E AI, significantly reducing iteration cycles.

JP O'Brien

Partner, Lead Developer

20 years of operations planning and development USMC to M

JP's experience in data analytics and Microsoft infrastructure led to the quick adoption of Azure PlayFab.

Brian Draughn

Partner, Game Design Lead

16 years of Data Analytics and Development from US Army to Microsoft.

Brian's experience in data analytics and Microsoft infrastructure led to the quick adoption of Azure PlayFab.

Feeling the / Hype?

If you think you have something special to bring to the table, you're looking for your next great opportunity, feel free to reach out and let us know how you can make an impact.

Knotty Giraffe, LLC. Redmond, WA 98014

Design/

Philosophy

Our/

Games

Let your freak flag fly Knotty Giraffe style. Giraffe's are allergic to loose collars and itchy fabric so you won't find any of that here. Quality, comfortable.

Our/

Games

JET HEADS

Early 2024

Target Platforms

Jet Heads World Finals

We're throwing the kitchen sink at Jet Heads to make it the generation's go-to watersports game. Expect physics and visuals that bring back the butterflies of generation changes while being transported back to a most hilarious decade.

Next-Gen Tech

We're throwing the kitchen sink at Jet Heads to make it the generation's go-to watersports game. Expect physics and visuals that bring back the butterflies of generation changes while being transported back to a most hilarious decade.

Advanced Physics

Not only do the Jet Ski's rip, just like your favorite 90's stand-up, they also function and feel like the real thing. As you shred, the waves will provide an unpredictable challenge as your wake impacts those around competitors around you.

Online Multiplayer

Whether you're looking for a relaxing ride, or shredding the competition Jet Heads is setup to provide you with a way to have fun. Our competitive modes include World Finals like events, as well as fun mini-games like Bowling or Canyon Run.

Mini-Games

Mix up the racing with fun, technically stunning mini-games that transcend the genre. Each can be played online or through local split screen play.

Bowling

Bratty Birthday

Fog Tag

Co-op Modes

Come together with friends, or make some new ones, as you work together to complete challenges on the high seas.

Penguin Shuffle

Big Ocean Cleanup

Unreal Engine 5 Water

lumen and RayTracing

Azure PlayFab

Waves generated in Seattle perfectly represented for the player in New York. Azure PlayFab brings cross-platform play and takes racing on the waves to the next level. Due to the complexity of the task, we need high speed servers to deliver for our customers, and for that Azure PlayFab delivers.

MetaHumans

We take advantage of Epic's next-gen character creator to deliver beautiful characters that truly captures the unique style of the 90s.

Next-Generation PC Tech

From FSR to DLSS 3.0, we're injecting as much tech support into Jet Heads as we can. Expect settings optimized for Steam Deck and the 4000 series Nvidia GPUs, in addition to insight into console settings.

Custom settings profile for Steam Deck to ensure you can rip on the go.

RTX RayTracing, GI and DLSS 3.0 bring the 4000 series Nvidia cards to life.

Next-Gen Consoles

Quality and Performance Settings @ 60 FPS, Raytracing Options

Support for FSR 2.0, Freesync and RayTracing.

DirectStorage 1.1 Support for ultrafast loading on PC and Consoles.

Exciting Brand Partnership Announcements coming Soon

We're working with your favorite brands to ensure that Jet Heads fully captures the feel of 90's Jet Ski Racing and Pop Culture.

ORDERS

TBA

Target Platforms

Our/

Tech Stack

AI Assisted Development

Knotty Giraffe has embraced their background in machine learning and applied it in simplifying the development process as the studio expands to full force. From sound development to lip animation, AI is helping a small studio compete.

AI Sound Development

Altered allows our developers to quickly bring idea to screen and provides our players with the variety and quality they'd expect from a AAA studio.

Azure Insights & ML

We leverage real-time, GDPR protected, insights for partner interest tracking, server capacity requirements and gameplay balancing.

Dall-E 2

Our team leverages Dall-E for storyboarding and content ideation, quickly syncing the team behind a single, clear vision of the final product.

About/

Us

We Are Gamers Making Games

Knotty Giraffe is a Redmond, Washington based game development studio founded by three US military veterans who spent their professional careers in the tech sector and are now making an impact where their passions and experience meet.

Where we stand on the issues...

Gameplay 1st Design

Modern Features

Deliver Quality Day 1

Microtransactions*

Deceptive Love Letters

Sell Used T-Shirts

Partners

Karin Draughn, PMP

Partner, Creative Lead

10 years of Project Management in creative and software engineering.

Karin's experience leading creative projects led to the adoption of Dall-E AI, significantly reducing iteration cycles.

JP O'Brien

Partner, Lead Developer

20 years of operations planning and development USMC to M

JP's experience in data analytics and Microsoft infrastructure led to the quick adoption of Azure PlayFab.

Brian Draughn

Partner, Game Design Lead

16 years of Data Analytics and Development from US Army to Microsoft.

Brian's experience in data analytics and Microsoft infrastructure led to the quick adoption of Azure PlayFab.