Let’s Misbehave! Glitz, Grit, and Dangerous Romance
Step back into the roaring 1920s, where smoky speakeasies, glittering jazz halls, and dangerous romances collide. In this special feature, we sat down with the talented team behind Let’s Misbehave: Alli (writer & director), Meg (background artist), and Skai (sprite artist).
From the inspiration of pre-code Hollywood films to the glamour and grit of Jazz Age America, the trio opened up about their creative process, character design, and the world they’ve lovingly crafted. They also shared with us exclusive first looks at new art from the game, including Cherry’s stunning sprite, Gilda in her housecoat, and Meg’s rough sketches of New York-inspired side streets.
These sneak peeks reveal not only the artistry behind Let’s Misbehave but also the passion the team pours into every detail. Whether you’re here for the fashion, the romance, or the shady red-flag love interests, this Q&A captures the heart of a project that’s become a true labor of love.
Listen to the FULL podcast here:
Highlights from the Let’s Misbehave Podcast
Alli:
Alright, I guess I will go first. Thank you so much, Lovers Lens and Morig We’re so happy to be here. So I’m Allie. I guess I’m the main writer for the game. I’m the director. I’m the ideas person, narrative designer. I guess I’m just the one who kind of came up with the concept. And basically the idea for the game came to me quite a while back. Because I just really enjoy like, you know, the jazz age aesthetic, but it was when Voltage’s Love Struck closed down and they had Speak Easy Tonight, which was my favorite 1920s ultimate. And when that was gone, I just kind of decided that I wanted one of my own. So that’s when I started kind of reaching out and recruiting others to make this vision come true.
Meg:
Hiya! So, I’m Meg. I’m an illustrator from the UK. Me and Alli have been friends for quite a long time now. Well, I think. I don’t know, I don’t count the years. And yeah, it came up in conversation that she was looking for a background artist and I was like, hey, I’ve been looking to practice more of my environmental background art so this would be really great. And so yeah, I applied. It doesn’t help that I’m like obsessed with everything from like the 1920s and 30s. So that was just like an added plus. Like the more she told me about the game, the more I was like, no, I have to get involved.
Skai:
So hi, I’m Skai. I am the illustrator for let’s misbehave and the way that I got into the project was honestly from like another game I was working on Impolite Society with Alli and our friend Maria who made the GUI for Let’s Misbehave and Alli was talking about like how she had an idea for something and I was just like egging her on like do it do it do it do it and like eventually she like had like a whole mood board she was like making like a fucking recruitment doc and things like that and like I was I remember even made like concept art of Angelo in the beginning because it’s like you know I’m into like the Mafia Man the red flag Otome La Venturaes because of course and like yeah of course of course absolutely I like red flags in general men or women.
…But like, actually, I made concept art of Angel,o and then like I didn’t make concept art of anybody else, I just made concept art of Angelo. That was it. And then, like Alli started recruiting and stuff, and then like later on we met Meg and like everybody else from the team, and it’s been great, it’s been like wonderful, I enjoy you know working on the sprites for this thing, it’s been very fu,n I can’t believe it’s been two years.
Alli:
Yeah, absolutely. So if I kind of have to, I guess, summarize it, let’s just say it’s a little like the worst episode of The Bachelor you’ve seen. Because you have here a woman, young, divorced, and really in need of nothing. She has wealth. She has health, and she has status. And she is quite being approached by rather suspicious young men. But that’s it, that’s Let’s Misbehave. We are here for the Jazz Age with all its ups and downs and I just thought it would be really, really fun to have a game about, you know, kind of second chances, but also somebody that’s got a new, a renewed lease on life and just kind of explore how a romance would work for that.
Meg:
So first I think about where it’s actually set and I work with Alli and the others to do like a little world building. So, you know, to think about what the city’s actually like, where would it make sense for a speakeasy to actually be set up? So for our club background, I was thinking for it to be set in a closed theatre. So from the outside, the windows are boarded up, it looks abandoned, especially during the day. And then at night, you’ve got the guests being led through the narrow staff access entry door that will be going under the stage and into the back of the rooms. If anyone does take a peek in the windows, all they’d see is dusty, unused side rooms.…
It’s looking over photography, period illustrations, looking at everything from architecture, furniture, curtains, light fixtures, literally everything and figuring out how Art Nouveau and Art Deco kind of works and what I want things to actually look like. Yeah, after that I do kind of like the messiest sketches known to man. Figure out the perspective that I want the scene set from. I usually do like five different sketches trying to figure out where I want the perspective to actually go. Then I ink it and get the other’s opinion and then I do three versions of colour to figure out the best option and yeah, go from there.
Skai:
I’m gonna be honest, I just spend an abnormal amount of time browsing Pinterest. That’s pretty much it. I adore fashion. I adore it. Though mostly I really lean more into contemporary fashion because I like contemporary fiction. I like drawing stuff that’s going on right now and maybe even cyberpunk actually. I really like cyberpunk fashion.
Fashion is it like no matter what era I just love clothes. You know, and if I get the chance to research on an era with like different clothes from like what I usually draw, then like I’m so down because like it’s awesome. I love drawing clothes. I love drawing women. And I love dresses. I love a challenge. I love drawing patterns even actually. Patterns are really, really fun to draw. Like most people would hate doing it, but like I like doing it.
Alli:
I was gonna give kind of like a cop-out answer, like a cheat answer, because they definitely have some common traits, we just cannot reveal them yet.
Skai:
Well, you know, they’re all red flags. They’re all suspicious young men.
Alli:
Yeah. There is that. And there’s a few more things, but yeah.
Skai:
And I guess they’re supposed to be hot because we’re trying to sell this to an audience. It’s for free, but you know. Yeah, we need an audience, you know? We need people to be frothing over the mouth over this voice.
Alli:
So first of all, think, and I’m going to keep the story very, very brief. A lot of this inspiration actually came from a real life figure, Dorothy DeFrasso. So Dorothy DeFrasso, she got married to, I believe it was an Italian count. So she was an American heiress. She got married to an Italian count. Then she ended up divorcing him, then she had an affair with an American movie actor. Actually, that was probably during the wedding. Yikes, but you know.
So she had an affair with an American actor, the one and only Gary Cooper. And then she was pretty cozy with a, let’s just say that he’s a businessman of dubious businesses. Bugsy Siegel, a pretty known gangster. So you can kind of see how we’re getting to these love interests, I’m sure.
So Dorothy was kind of like, when I first read about her, I was like, okay, this sounds like it should be a game. But rather than, you know, actually taking inspiration from her life, I was like, well, what if we kind of had these like characters? So especially for Nils, he’s pretty debonair, he’s elegant. But also, like, it’s not he doesn’t necessarily easily belong to the 1920s. Like he could be, you know, from like Fantasiaco Paris. He could be from like, you know, just end of the era of Victorian. So he has that sort of like other worldliness about him. And I think that really kind of keeps that mystery for him.
Skai:
Okay, listen, listen, alright? I told Alli the other day in chat that like before I date Angelo, I gotta kick him in the balls. Like, it’s a non-negotiable. Like this man… This man needs that. This man needs that CBT, I’m sorry.
Meg:
Yeah, I think we talk about him a lot just because he is mine and Skai’s favourite in particular. I think Nils is Ali’s favourite. Right, okay, okay. Yeah.
The biggest thing about Angelo is that despite him tapping into the cliché of the “bad boy” from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the softest man inside. He is the sweetest, the kindest, and he delivers it all with that level of snark that we love.
Skai:
Okay, I do love that. It’s the gap moe! Right? Yeah, exactly, exactly. That’s the appeal. Although, I don’t know, there’s something wrong with me. I like it too when they’re just like absolutely irredeemable. I’m sorry. But like, they can be redeemable or irredeemable. I just need that edge, okay? I listen to punk rock. So it is what it is. That’s what I grew up on.
Alli:
That’s what I was gonna say, is anything real in Hollywood? He’s Hollywood through and through. And so that is a lot of his, you know, we get to delve into something else that’s I guess less explored. I’m not gonna say it’s not explored. Of course, it is in other media, but it also lets us look into early cinema, these early Hollywood studios, and the absolute insanity they had with their contracts.
So Roy is a product of this very sort of like foreign world, but I think what’s really, really important to keep him authentic is to like, and we tried to show that in our prologue is his love for acting. That is what is authentic about him and that’s really what grounds him. That’s sort of his compass. So, you know, though he’s an Hollywood actor, he’s out here doing stage plays and things like that. So, yeah, that’s his grounding. That’s his compass.
Alli:
So one thing is she’s actually basically a tribute to two pre-code female leads that I have really really admired and enjoyed. So the first one is Laura Hart from Night Nurse, for her last name is Hart. And the first one is actually… Okay, so in the movie her name is… It’s spelt the same, but they call her Joda. So Joda Farrow from Design for Living. That’s another pre-code movie and fantastic movie. Really she’s kind of like, she is basically just a tribute to both of them. That’s why her name is Gilda Hart.
…But, so that was really important. And, you know, the other thing is that she’s still quite young. She’s only 24, but she’s really kind of, you know, speed ran like many other women of her age in the time, a wedding, setting up a household, then deciding it didn’t work out. So she also just said goodbye to all of that. She’s not a flapper, she’s not reckless, but she’s also not Daisy Buchanan either.
So what was really, really important for me, and like the most important thing about her in general, is that she’s basically trying to be her own person rather than what others expect her to be. And I think with that in mind, that’s really helped like develop her from visuals to voice.
Exclusive Art Showcase
Cherry – The dev team’s queen of sass and boss energy, her sprite radiates the fiery presence that makes her a fan favorite.
Side Street Concept – Meg’s New York-inspired sketch gives us a glimpse into the gritty yet stylish urban backdrop that sets the mood.
Gilda’s Housecoat Design – Skai’s detailed pattern work and cozy elegance show how even casual outfits are crafted with storytelling in mind.
Let’s Misbehave is more than just a Jazz Age romance. It’s a story of self-discovery, independence, and second chances, wrapped in glitz, danger, and unforgettable characters. From Nils’ mysterious elegance to Angelo’s chaotic charm, and Roy’s golden Hollywood glow, each route offers a different flavor of love and intrigue.
The team has promised that the game will always remain free, with hopes of a future Steam release once the project is complete. In the meantime, fans can enjoy the demo on itch.io, leave feedback, and keep an eye out for updates and extended content.
As Alli, Meg, and Skai reminded us during the podcast: this project is built on love, community, and collaboration. And if the art, writing, and passion we’ve seen so far are any indication — Let’s Misbehave is destined to leave a mark on the otome community.So raise a glass, tune into the jazz, and let yourself be swept away. Because in Let’s Misbehave, the night is always young, the secrets are always dangerous, and the romance? Absolutely irresistible.
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