Fable by Playground Games Draws Inspiration from The Office’s Mockumentary Interviews: “Many think we only used it for the trailers.”

UK-based developer Playground Games is fully embracing the signature British humor of the Fable series, even incorporating the mockumentary-style interviews that have become a staple in many comedy shows, like The Office.

Remember the Fable trailer featuring a giant Richard Ayoade, known from The IT Crowd, as he discusses the essence of heroes in an interview? Another scene showcases Matt King, aka Super Hans from Peep Show, portraying an ex-hero reluctantly pulled out of retirement.

But this isn’t just a quirky marketing gimmick for the reboot. Playground Games chief Ralph Fulton shared that the mockumentary interview style is a narrative device used throughout the game. “You might have noticed in our trailers that we have this sort of mockumentary interview style,” he explained. “Many assume we only used it for the trailers, but it’s actually woven into the gameplay.”

Fulton noted that the team “kind of borrowed” this approach from The Office, the iconic British comedy known for its dry humor and awkward camera interactions. “I’ve never seen it in games before, but it provides a clever way to deliver jokes or character details that might feel clunky in traditional dialogue, yet come off as completely natural when directed at the ‘camera’,” he added.

Fable has always been a quintessentially British franchise, and the reboot is committed to maintaining that essence. “We have an incredible cast for this game, and we’ll share more about them soon,” Fulton mentioned. “This aligns with the original Fable games, which featured a star-studded cast. We felt it was a challenge to match that.”

The team drew inspiration from the rich variety of British comedies over the past two decades, including Peep Show and The IT Crowd. “We started with The Office—not just the IP, but also the techniques and devices it popularized. It’s that grounded, awkward humor that resonates with us.”

While it’s unclear how these in-game interviews will function—considering cameras don’t exist in the fairytale realm of Albion—I’m excited to see how Playground Games pulls this off. It’s refreshing to see big-budget titles take creative risks, and I can’t wait to experience how it all comes together when the game launches later this year.