In virtually every Telltale game, players will see the message: “Silence is a valid option.” But although AdHoc was created by previous developers TellTale Games, such an option does not appear during the game Send. Whereas in TellTale games, the player character is usually silent if no option is selected and failed to select Send the result is an automatic selection of one. And now the developers have explained why.
In theory, silence is a valid option when it comes to choice-based games. It can represent an inability to act, lead to bad results, or create the feeling that this particular character is very inept at times. Not to mention it pays homage to the silent protagonists of video games if you squint hard enough. But that's not who Send the main character is Robert Robertson, and that's only part of the reason.
Silence is a valid option for 1% of players
At the Game Developers Conference (GDC), as reported by PCGamer, Send creative directors Nick Herman and Dennis Lenart explained why AdHoc didn't take advantage of this additional dialogue option: less than 1% of players chose it. Herman explained how the team loved playing pick-based games as a “complete weirdo” who responded to everything with a “blank stare”. But their Telltale experience came into play and they knew the numbers. “Silent options were triggered intentionally or unintentionally less than 1% of the time for all users worldwide,” explained Herman.
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Despite this, Lenart explained that AdHoc is still considering supporting this “silence is a valid option” playstyle. After all, 1% of gamers are still gamers, across the board SendThe dialogue choices would lead to “almost 15 full minutes of Robert not saying anything”. It's worth adding that aside from not really fitting Robert Robertson's character, there's no point in giving the option to skip Breaking Bad performance by actor Aaron Paul. SendHis performances, including his own and others, were one of the most appreciated elements of the game.
Muting Robert Robertson would also create new scenarios for AdHoc to solve. There is almost always someone on the other side talking to Robert, which means that this impact on the other characters must be considered. Overall, it creates more work than the team could possibly justify. As Herman explained,
“It doesn't sound like much, but we still had to write additional characters that silently react to it. We have to record the voice. We had to storyboard, animate, light and polish it all. All this to support less than 1% of the situations, especially as a new studio we felt it wasn't worth it. So we killed it.”
Fans of the expedition did not mind his absence
And while, yes, that's unfortunate for the 1% of use cases, it's not like it's something fans will miss. Many probably didn't even think about it. Each week players responded to performances and choices in available Send episodes. And when it's all over, the fan cries for Send season 2 were almost immediate. AdHoc has not said anything official yet Send season 2, although many cast members and developers have made personal comments in support of the idea, but perhaps the feature will return. Or maybe silence is no longer a valid option.
It is uncertain what the future holds Send will be now but things are looking for AdHoc. The game's GDC talk is nothing to scoff at, but importantly, it turned out to be a critical and commercial success. Send it sold over 3 million units within two months of its release cycle and came to new platforms such as the Nintendo Switch. Not to mention the players created Send Season 2 wishlist since the season ended, and this kind of reaction only comes when something special happens.
- Released
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October 22, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Crude Humor, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Crude Language, Drug and Alcohol Use
- Developers
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AdHoc Studio
- Publishers
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AdHoc Studio
