Meet Missy, the otter behind the name

Every good games lounge needs a host, and ours has whiskers. Missy is a river otter, and she is the reason this site is called Brooksmissy: it is simply Missy of the brook. We wanted a host for grown-ups — composed, quietly witty, at home by clear running water in the evening light — rather than a cartoon. A well-dressed otter fitted perfectly.

Why an otter?

Otters are famous for playing with stones. They roll them, juggle them and carry favourites around for no reason other than the fun of it. That is very close to how we think about our games: you play because it is enjoyable, not because there is anything to gain.

So the points you play with became Pebbles, the smooth stones Missy collects from the stream bed. Like her stones, they are lovely to have and worth nothing to anyone else. Pebbles have no cash value, they are never for sale, and they cannot be exchanged for anything.

Where you will find her

You will find Missy in a few places around the site.

• She keeps the Holt. A holt is what an otter's den is called, and ours is where the Lily Wheel, the Skim cards, Errands and the Weir meter live.
• She leaves a few Pebbles by your door each time you reach a new level in the Club.
• If your balance runs dry, she tops you up with 5,000 Pebbles, free.
• Her own game is Otterly Treasure, a calm ten-line slot on a sunlit riverbed, where Missy kneels by an antique chest of glowing stones.

Following the water

Once Missy was in place, the rest of the site followed the river. The Club tiers run downstream: Ripple, Rill, Brook, Stream, River and finally Delta, where the water meets the sea. The Weir is named after the low walls that hold a river back until it spills over, which is exactly what the meter does.

We also decided early on what Missy would never do. She does not nag you to come back, she does not count down to anything, and she never pretends there is a fortune waiting at the bottom of the river. She is there to make the place feel welcoming, and to remind you now and then that a break is a perfectly good idea.

Say hello

You can meet Missy in demo mode straight away, without an account, or join free and start with 25,000 Pebbles. Either way the games are free, for adults aged 18 and over in the UK, and played for fun only.

Play Otterly Treasure