Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook: An AFK Book (Bendy)

by Cala Spinner

Unlock the mysteries of the hit horror video game Bendy and the Ink Machine in this terrifying, in-world guidebook!

Dreams do come true at Joey Drew Studios!Welcome to Joey Drew Studios! As a new animator, it's your job to carry on Mr. Drew's legacy of iconic characters like Bendy, Boris the Wolf, and Alice Angel! In this handy guidebook, you'll learn how to get around the studio, operate our state-of-the-art Ink Machine, and work well with our dedicated staff of creatives and crew members. Mr. Drew himself has even included a walk-through of all the tasks you'll need to complete to make it out of your first week alive, as well as an excerpt from his memoir The Illusion of Living, to inspire you to carry our company mission forward.In time, we hope you'll find a home here at our studios. Who knows? After a while, you may never want to leave!Don't miss this terrifying in-world guidebook, your key to unlocking the mysteries of Bendy and the Ink Machine!

Genres: Video Games, Horror, Gaming, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2019

About the author

Cala Spinner, better known as Erinn Pascal, is a children's novel writer and an author of Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook.

Reviews

[Tucker Almengor]

Many thanks to Scholastic Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review

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[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is half strategy guide, half book. The walkthrough/achievement guide looks pretty thorough, but I didn't read those parts because I beat the game on my own (very low achievement) steam.

But what a delightful way to write a strategy guide! Incorporating memorabilia from Joey Drew Studios and using a cheeky 1920s tone to write the employee information were fabulous choices that create an insidiously creepy verisimilitude. It's easy to think that Bendy is out there in the world... maybe watching us right now...

If you're a fan of the game, you'll love this book for its expansion of the mythology and clever references. If you're not a fan of the game, you probably haven't played it! And you really should. After all, don't you want to see your dreams come true?

[Carolyn Barnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to have it! A companion guide to read over and over again!

A must have for fans of Bendy and the Ink Machine Game.

This book provides never before seen letters, newspaper excerpts, memos from memorable characters , and concept art for Joey Drew's Bendy Land that were alluded to in the game but is revealed in this book. While you might or might not be able to play the game have no fear! This book takes you through a narrative style through the game as if you were playing with your favorite youtuber or friend. Missed some Bacon Soup cans and missed getting the achievement on your game? Don't worry there is a guide and a map there too. Missed recording files on the first try or didn't bother with it? Have no fear! Each and every sound file 's in game transcripts can be found in the book as well. This book gives detail on each and every achievement in the game and how to get it.

So what should entice you to purchase this book?
When I bought this book I knew I had to get it due to the fact that for theorists and history buffs this book sold to me as the title said "Employee Hand Book". I had expected that it would be information about the studio and how it fell apart. Which I will not get into too much detail but was very surprised and satisfied.

So what doesn't this book have?

That's a rather tough statement to make as this book does contain stuff such as the "Wandering's a sin" sign for hackers in the early stages of the game to even how to get the "secret" of the game. Here is what this book doesn't have:

It does not contain any of the audio recorded dialogues that were found in the Joey Drew YouTube channel from the lead up to chapter five and after the games full release to the reveal of Bendy and the Ink Machine Dark Revival.

It does not contain information about Bendy' Ink Run or about the cartoons that were used to make that game.

it also lacks modern day references of technological and modern day advancements such as the current value of a dollar.This book was "created" in the time set when the boom of employment at Joey Drew Studios had been raised back in the 1940's to the early 1950's. During and after World War II and through the Great Depression.So one dollar back in 1944 would be seen as $14.00 today as an example.

So even knowing this, is this book something I should buy and recommend to my friends?
Simple answer, yes. Even with the flaws of the book I have and have not mentioned. Its charms outweigh the flaws. It is a great gift to all Bendy fans big and small. Congrats to The Meatly and Mike Mood and team for a successful book and a successful game that keeps us fans squealing with delight for theory information. As well as Scholastic for green lighting this book to be published.

[SB Senpai Manga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve talked about this game for quite sometime now, and this year they’re releasing two books connected to it! This one is the strategy guide for the game, and it was a fantastic experience! There’s much more to it than a run of the mill guide, it does present itself as an employee handbook for the studio and you’re the new employee. It also features letters and telegrams from Joey, Henry, Sammy, Grant, and Norman. Newspapers that tell how the studio fell into bankruptcy, and gives answers to different theories people have had about the game. So this is great for expanding the world and for new character insights.
The walkthrough itself was great to show each objective, every audio tape, secret bosses, and what to do to get 100% completion! If you’re a fan of Bendy and the Ink Machine, this is for you!

[Patrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I were interested in playing the game this would have been a useful and fun read, hence my son's enjoyment of it. The manual framework helps make the instructional nature of the book amusing and provides ample opportunities to add flavor text.

[Ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

[BlackBearCJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice little strategy guide for Bendy and the Ink Machine, with some nice extras.

It's filled with nice images and bits of lore. It has an achievement guide, bits of insights on characters, maps of chapters, shows you where to get all the bacon soup in each chapter and also shows you where to find hidden messages with the viewing tool.

It's not perfect however. I used this guide to see just *what* the requirements for the achievement 'Aggression' was as it had seemed nebulous as how to got it to the community as whole and one of only two I'm missing. (The other being Valued Employee, and I'm just awful at stealth).

It said all you had to do was not die, during the battle in Lost Harbour in Chapter 5, which I haven't had happen at least once (including to Sammy), and haven't gotten. It seems there must be some amount of damage you need to do but it isn't as straightforward as not dying.

It also leaves out the hidden messages you can see from the viewing tool that are in Brute Boris' boss room. Maybe this was intentional and they're intended to be 'more secret' as you have to die first to use the viewing tool in that room, but it also seems like it could be an oversight considering the others things included in the book.

I will say though, I did enjoy seeing them include the recipe for Briar's Label Bacon Soup! It's a cute, fun little thing to have. Especially with how much people love to make video game recipes.

I hope to try some myself if I end up with enough diverse palettes around me to share with. As Alluring and tempting the recipe is (for being a fan and it sounding tasty on paper), I'm not the biggest fan of Canadian bacon or creamy soups and certainly wouldn't want it to go to waste.

[Liberty Ero · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Life is both the most boring and the most fascinating thing that exists. It's filled with exciting moments like chase scenes . . . and also with dull stretches of nothing, like waiting for a cab."

This book is so thorough and extensive, and an absolute godsend for completionists like myself! Not only does it give you a step-by-step how-to guide for beating the game (which is always helpful), it also shows you how to get all of the achievements and locate all the hidden Easter eggs! It provides multiple dates that would help you make a cohesive timeline of events for the studio and shows screenshots of the transcripts of all of the audio logs (in case you missed any in-game), on top of teaching you fun things like how to draw Joey Drew Studios' classic characters: Bendy, Boris the Wolf, and Alice Angel! And as if that weren't enough, perhaps the most monumental component of all, it also includes an authentic recipe for Briar Label Bacon Soup so you can make it yourself at home! All underneath the guise of an employee handbook, no less!
Just an an aside... concept art of Bendyland showing Bendy with gargoyle-esque wings made me imagine how incredible an Ink Demon Bendy model like that would look in-game. I think it'd definitely give Beast Bendy a run for his money.
And I couldn't miss out on mentioning this quote: "Employee discount is limited to a one-time use only. Discount voucher not valid on toys, food, apparel, bedding, churros that aren't being used as food but are being used as—well, ask Mr. Franks—books, stationary, cold weather gear, hot weather gear, drinks, jewelry, Bacon Soup, or key chains." (Emphasis added.) Okay, Wally, I think you've got some explaining to do, haha!

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook, is a complete guide to help you play through all five chapters of the video game, Bendy and the Ink Machine.

I really loved having this guide. I am not a gamer, but for some reason I became obsessed with this game after watching of the Game Theory episodes devoted to it.

So I downloaded it, and I had no idea what I was doing. This book will tell you everything from how many cans of bacon soup are in each level to how many hits each enemy takes to die. It also gives you a full list of achievements and how to collect them.

This isn't just you're average game guide though, it's all told as if it were a real world guide to the animation company.

It's full of news clippings and company memo's that add insight into the fall of Joey's empire. As if someone were updating their old employee manual in order to help anyone foolish enough to stumble inside.

So welcome to Joey Drew Studios; it's dangerous to go alone. Take this Guide with you. The creator may have lied, but this book never will.

Now if my heart would just stop racing every time I hear Bendy's chase music.

[Justin Schuppan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook was a great read. It's a very useful tool for progressing through "Bendy and the Ink Machine". It gave pretty helpful tips, and it gives you a way to get every achievement and secret in the game, it's a pretty good book. The entire first chapter of the book essentially is just five mini chapters, guiding you along the games five chapters. It was a joyride from "Moving Pictures" to "The Last Reel". The second and third chapters of the book are actually like an actual handbook you'd receive at a company! The 2nd chapter lists all the areas you'd be working in, some people to look out for, as well as general company expectations and benefits. The third chapter gives us some tips on how to animate the studios main 3 characters, Bendy The Demon, Boris The Wolf, and Alice Angel, from a simple circle, to a full head with expressions in a few minutes. This was an awesome buy, I'd recommend it to any fan of the "Bendy" franchise. Hopefully a book like this for "Bendy and the Dark Revival" comes out soon, given how that game is objectively more difficult, but both games are great.

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not only a helpful guide to the entire game, it was an engagingly written, brilliantly arranged book with every secret. It was written as if you were an employee yourself and grasped a bigger perspective of how the characters depicted in the game actually are like. Evidently, this book has spoilers due to it's description of the entire game so I recommend you play the game before purchasing the book to savor the plot twists in the storyline. I mainly used this book for the secrets and the achievement guide. Point being, compared to every gamer's guide book, this one was the most engaging and the most creatively planned.

[ainsly marsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dddddx

I liked of stuff 😐 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗 😗😗 😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😗😋😋😗😋😗😋😗😋Ekekxej assists set heraldic mana mask na law law law law law law law law law low law law na na Fkv j j j j k k k k k j na law

[Renpotsto · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the book helped me understand the lore and helped
Me play the game at the same time is pleasing. I keep rereading every once in a while, I would recommend this to someone who wants to play the game and get a 100% understanding of the story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book even though it is it's own version of a guide book it has some bits and pieces to the story we never knew and I can't wait for the novel to come out.

[Francis Felipe · Rating 5 out of 5]

yes yes I will

[Jack Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It may not add anything huge to the lore of the game, but it is a great view into the world of the game and what it was like to work for mister Joey Drew himself.

[Jamie K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

It was a well written game guide with the addition of some great side content, overall a great book for people who want a guide and some additional information

[Ashley Halbardier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and the recipe in here looks delicious. I can't wait for the second game from the creators.

[Brenda Kahn]

I am unfamiliar with the game, but the art was atmospheric and creepy. My students love the Minecraft manuals. Perhaps they know the game and will like this.

[Tilogy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Great book to keep near by while playing the game! So many secrets revealed! Absolutely great and would recommend to all my gaming friends.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow i love this book and the game:)

[Shahzain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very very very very good.book! Because I am the biggest fan of bendy and the ink machine! Literally, the biggest ever

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful guide.

[Bendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good book you can learn a lot

[Bryden · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok ok this book is so cool

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In preparation for the new game I decided to give this a read to refresh myself in some of the smaller details that I forgot about. I really do love this game. The aesthetic is just unparalleled and the story is interesting. So excited for more Bendy content to drop.

[Tabby Dimock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reveals all the tips and tricks in playing the game, plus other fun discoveries such as a Bacon Soup recipe and how the studio works. It's such a fun page turner

[Michael A. Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Good dogo kidnapped bendy and boiris and I won't slow the ending do do do do do do do do

[Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative book on some miscellaneous lore about the bendy universe

[Serafima Karkkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as walkthroughs / game guides go, this is right on par with Prima's best.

The book looks too good! The ink splatters, the illustrations, the rich texts and additional tidbits of information. Each page is its own tiny masterpiece and an absolute joy to look at. The black sections don't really even collect finger prints and the paper thickness is telling of quality.

The walkthrough sections are well-written, although sometimes I feel like self-explanatory information is given precedent over questions the player actually would like to have answers to. However, seeing as BATIM isn't really a challenging game (unless you make it out to be), I don't mind these singular omissions of battle strategy, setting preferences etc.

My only legitimate gripe with the book is the author's feminine voice seeping onto the pages in places where one would prefer for it not to. While the walkthrough sections are written well, the "1930s" newspaper articles and memos written by the various (male) employees of Joey Drew Studios sound uncanny and out-of-place in the author's voice. The contrast is especially stark when reading the guide in conjunction with playing the game itself, with the original game's masculine writing clashing violently with the book's female author's softer and meandering writing style.

My aforementioned nitpick aside, this guidebook was made with such love and care that it warms my heart <3

I truly recommend playing through the game at least once with the accompaniment of this book (even though you may feel you have no need of it) - it will give you an even richer and more visceral experience of this already amazing game. I also used this guide for my 100 % achievements run, with the maps especially being invaluable.