Storytelling

Games are not entertainment. Being entertained is passive. Players need an active role in the game experience. Games are play and need interactivity, rules and uncertain outcomes. I had a good chat with a design director and writer about the purpose of narrative in games where we explored this. How you make the player an active part of the game beyond button bashing.

Narrative can fall into the trap (or sadly be forced) into merely providing a game’s set dressing through explicit preambles, mid-points and conclusions. Often presented to players as moment destroying text pop-ups or immersion crushing dialogue.

Narrative, at its best, creates the world-building for the player to experience and make their own. Even games seen as traditionally ‘non-narrative’, such as linear on-rails shooters or puzzle games, can leave the puzzle solving to the player to learn emergently through exploration rather than explicit instruction.

Anyone who’s has played Zelda will know that the first time you see a horse no dialogue or text tip will tell you to jump on it and start riding. The previously experienced environment of the player exploring, trying and testing the world makes that action natural and emergent, decided in the moment. And wow, what a feeling.

Narrative should help players be in control of their game world, not simply passively entertained within it.

And yes, I am obsessed with Zelda at the moment.