Gals and Their Games Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mabel Addis

Mabel Addis was an American elementary school teacher and a pioneer in video games. She designed and wrote "The Sumerian Game", first played by students in 1964. The text-based educational game put players in charge of an ancient Sumerian city of Lagesh. They had to manage grain, feed the population, and make economic decisions.

Addis created the educational content and storytelling and expanded the narrative in 1966. The game helped pioneer computer-based learning and resource management games. Addis herself is widely recognized as the first female video game designer and writer.

Answer: Carol Shaw

Carol Shaw was one of the first women to work professionally as a video game designer and programmer. She did both of those tasks on "River Raid", which was released by Activision in 1982 for the Atari 2600. Players piloted a jet along a river, shooting enemy ships, helicopters, and bridges while stopping for refueling.

It was noted that the game's smooth scrolling and differing landscapes were big achievements for the hardware of the time. Selling more than one million copies, the game became a classic and established Shaw as a true pioneer in the industry.

Answer: Roberta Williams

Roberta Williams was a video game entrepreneur who designed, wrote, and illustrated "Mystery House", released in 1980 for the Apple II. Her husband, Ken, programmed it. Inspired by the novel "And Then There Were None" and the board game Clue, the game asked people to explore a Victorian mansion, solve puzzles, and identify a murderer.

As one of the first graphical adventure games, it brought pictures to a genre previously dominated by text. Its success helped launch the company that would become Sierra On-Line.

Answer: Danielle Bunten Berry

Danielle Bunten Berry was the person who led the design of "M.U.L.E.", released in 1983. She worked with her team at Ozark Softscape and publisher Electronic Arts. Originally made for Atari 8-bit computers, the game let players settle the planet Irata using robotic Multiple Use Labor Elements (MULEs) which produced food, energy, and minerals. Players then traded these resources with the goal of becoming the wealthiest colonist.

The game was very successful and its innovative blend of strategy and social interaction made it a landmark in multiplayer gaming.

Answer: Amy Hennig

Amy Hennig was the game writer who also served as game director for "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune", released in 2007 for the PlayStation 3 by Naughty Dog. The adventure game follows treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he searches for the ultimate prize. It combined exploration, puzzles, activities, and combat.

Hennig was the key to creating the story, characters, and dialogue, giving the game the feel of a movie. The game launched the successful "Uncharted" series and helped establish movie-like storytelling as a huge attraction in video games.

Answer: Rieko Kodama

Rieko Kodama was a Japanese video game artist, designer and producer. She served as the lead graphic designer on "Phantasy Star", released in 1987 for Sega's Master System. She created the character designs, environments, and battle backgrounds, including the heroine of the game named Alis Landale.

The game follows Alis and her cohorts across planets as they battle a tyrant, blending science fiction, fantasy, combat, and exploration. Kodama's graphics and the game's female protagonist helped distinguish it from other early role-playing games and helped launch an enduring Sega franchise.

Answer: Jade Raymond

Jade Raymond was the Canadian video game producer who, in 2007, served as the producer of the original "Assassin's Creed" for Ubisoft. She oversaw development at Ubisoft Montreal, helping coordinate the team and bring its ideas to creation. The action-adventure game in 2007, on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, followed Altair, an assassin during the Third Crusade. His experiences were relived by his modern-day descendant, Desmond Miles.

The game combined historical cities, rooftop climbing, and combat. It helped popularize the parkour type of exploration. It went on to launch one of gaming's most successful franchises.

Answer: Maddy Thorson

Maddy Thorson was an independent game designer who created and led the development of "TowerFall", released in 2013 for the Ouya console. The fast-paced archery game let up to four people battle in arenas, firing limited arrows, dodging attacks, and trying to be the last archer standing.

Thorson refined its controls and competitive gameplay through extensive playtesting. The game became a fine example of local multiplayer gaming, showing how simple rules and balanced design could make playing in the same room super exciting.

Answer: Brenda Romero

Brenda Romero was an American game designer who started with playtesting "Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord", released in 1981 for the Apple II by Sir-Tech. In this original game, players assembled a group of adventurers, explored a dungeon, fought monsters, and searched for a stolen amulet. Over time, Romero quickly moved up through the ranks to have writing and designing roles for the "Wizardry" series.

That first game, though, helped establish party-based computer role-playing games and influenced major Japanese franchises, including "Dragon Quest" and "Final Fantasy".

Answer: Tanya X. Short

Tanya X. Short was the co-founder of Kitfox Games and she served as the lead designer of "Shattered Planet", released in 2014 for mobile devices and computers. Tanya Short shaped its gameplay and worked with programmers to create rules for creating varied levels. The sci-fi role-playing game challenged players to explore dangerous alien sites, battle creatures, and survive across multiple maps.

As Kitfox's first commercial release, the game helped establish the studio and was beneficial for Short. It demonstrated her approach to combining strategy, choices, accessible gameplay, and unpredictability.