Making Scents Game

<div align="center"><h2>Making Scents</h2> <h3>An interactive game by Charles Wiegand</h3></div> The missing bottle won't leave your mind. Neither will the side effects. Or the investors. You stare at the paperwork on your desk and wonder which problem is going to destroy the company first. You say, "We have two big issues. One, we know there's a nasty side effect with Flirt. And two, there's that little matter of the investors." Tania nods, and before she can reply, your other lead tech, Jonelle, joins your conversation. Jonelle says, "So, they're pushing you to get Flirt into production. But, no, we can't. We have to fix it. I won't be a part of this if Flirt goes into production as it is now." You reply after a short pause and a sigh. "If the investors pull out, we're done. My hands are tied, Jonelle." Jonelle sets her clipboard on your desk. "Then I'm done here. I resign." Tania says, "Wait, what? Jonelle, you can't quit, we need you. We can't figure out the cause of the side effects without you." "Sorry, but I can't be a part of this. Releasing Flirt with what we know about it? No." She turned and walked out of the lab. [[1. You put all the team on finding the cause of the side effects->delay flirt]] [[2. You decide to appease the investors and focus on getting Flirt finished and released->focus on company]]

You're in a meeting with the investors. James signs the final paperwork and slides it across the table. You shift the company's focus toward production. The investors are pleased. But every day the unanswered reports sit on your desk. The side effects haven't gone away. They've simply become someone else's problem. For now. [[1. You decide to go ahead and release Flirt->release flirt]] [[2. You make a last-minute decision to not release, hoping to find the cause of the side effects->delay flirt]]

You release the latest batch of Flirt. Orders pour in almost immediately. The investors couldn't be happier. For the first time in months, Crescendo Aromatics feels like a success story. You contacted Jonelle and asked her to return. [[1. Jonelle returns to work->jonelle returns]] [[2. Jonelle doesn't return to work->jonelle doesn't return]]

"I can't in good conscience move ahead. We're going to delay the release of Flirt and work on fixing whatever is causing the side effects." But, the investors are not happy and threaten to walk and take their money with them. Finances become critical. You've contacted Jonelle and talked to her about returning. [[1. Jonelle returns to work->jonelle returns]] [[2. Jonelle doesn't return to work->jonelle doesn't return]]

You tell Jonelle, "The release is being delayed until the team understands the side effects. I promise you'll have full access to the data and nobody will take shortcuts." After a long silence, she says, "If you're serious about fixing this, I’ll come back. But if you try to bury this, I walk again." The next morning her lab coat was hanging on the back of her chair. With Jonelle back on the team, the lab finally feels whole again. The investigation into Flirt begins in earnest. [[1. The team discovers the problem with Flirt->Success At Last]] [[2. Hire an outside lab->Bittersweet Ending]] [[3. The team never discovers the problem->sad ending2]]

You contacted Jonelle and asked her to return, but you couldn’t promise the one thing she needed: that Flirt would stay off the market until it was safe. "No," she says. "You still think this is a business problem. It isn’t." She doesn’t return. Without Jonelle, development speeds up but quality suffers. The investors are happy to see it on shelves. The side effects are still present. [[1. You release Flirt, sales explode->sad ending]]

Months pass. Hundreds of tests. Dozens of failures. The flaw has haunted the project from the beginning. During that time, some of the investors walk away while others stay, barely. Then one evening Jonelle stares at the latest test results for nearly a minute before whispering, "Bronson... I think I found it." (t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)[[You win, now read the book to find out what really happens.->amazon]]

You launch Flirt. Sales exceed every expectation. For a few weeks, it looks like you've won. Then the lawsuits begin. "Sorry, guys, but we've come to the end. With the lawsuits and no sales, I have to shut down." The investors flee. Crescendo Aromatics doesn't survive. (t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)[[You lost. Now read the book to find out what really happens.->amazon]]

Your team tears Flirt apart ingredient by ingredient. Every formula is examined. Every theory is tested. Nothing works. The side effects remain a mystery. "Sorry, everyone. We've done everything possible and we're no closer to an answer than when we started. Without Flirt, the investors are leaving. We're out of money. I have to shut down." Crescendo Aromatics doesn't survive. (t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)[[You lost. Now read the book to find out what really happens.->amazon]]

Jonelle convinces you to hire an outside laboratory. Months pass. The reports arrive one after another. None contain the answer you're looking for. "Sorry, guys, but we've come to the end. I'm shutting down the Flirt project." He looked around the room and managed a tired smile. "We'll survive. We still have the cologne. Next week we start over." (t8n-depart:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)[[You win, more or less. Now read the book to find out what really happens.->amazon]]

This isn't how the story happened. In the novel, Bronson doesn't get to choose. Read Making Scents to discover what really happened. Available on Amazon. <a href="making_scents.php">Return to the website.</a>