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How can you create a game narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking?

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Game narratives are more than just a sequence of events that happen to the player. They are a way of communicating a message, a theme, or a question that challenges the player to think and feel. A game narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking can create a memorable and meaningful experience for the player and the developer. But how can you create such a narrative? Here are some tips to help you craft a game narrative that will captivate and challenge your audience.

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1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your game narrative, you need to know who you are writing for. What are their interests, preferences, expectations, and motivations? What kind of games do they like to play and why? How do they interact with the game mechanics, the characters, the environment, and the story? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your game narrative to suit their needs and desires, as well as avoid potential pitfalls and frustrations.

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Jonathan Gronli, MA, MLIS

Writer, editor, narrative designer, QA tester, library worker, podcast editor and producer. In D&D terms, Neutral Good Wizard/Bard.
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If you know the audience for the project, you'll know how to write and design so that it would grab their attention. You'd also be able to write it in with enough interesting ideas to potential attract attention from outside the target audience. Reality is though, if you design to try to appeal to everyone, rather than a target audience, you're increasing your likelihood of not finding any audience. Even if you have the smartest writing and design, if you design to appeal to everyone, you risk appealing to no one.

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2 Define your core idea

Your game narrative should have a core idea that drives the whole story. This can be a message, a theme, a question, or a problem that you want to explore or convey through your game. Your core idea should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should also be relevant to your audience and your genre. Your core idea will guide your decisions on the plot, the characters, the setting, the tone, and the style of your game narrative.

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Jonathan Gronli, MA, MLIS

Writer, editor, narrative designer, QA tester, library worker, podcast editor and producer. In D&D terms, Neutral Good Wizard/Bard.
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When working through my MA in English, I teamed up with an undergrad English student to work on and finish a game he was already working on. And part of the design conceit was basically the idea of "The world is dying and there's no hope of reversing course or repairing the damage. What do you do?" Finding a core idea helps with setting up design and storytelling constraints. It helps inform how the world should look, feel, and sound. It helps add flavor to character interactions and what's left in the wake of disaster(s). It also gives you clues on ways that you can diverge from the core idea without breaking it.

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3 Create a dynamic plot

Your plot is the sequence of events that make up your game narrative. Your plot should be dynamic, meaning that it changes and adapts according to the player's choices and actions. A dynamic plot will create a sense of agency, immersion, and consequence for the player. It will also keep them engaged and curious about what will happen next. To create a dynamic plot, you need to design branching paths, multiple endings, feedback loops, and meaningful choices that affect the outcome of your game narrative.

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4 Develop memorable characters

Your characters are the people or entities that inhabit your game narrative. Your characters should be memorable, meaning that they have distinct personalities, traits, goals, and motivations. They should also have flaws, conflicts, and relationships that make them realistic and relatable. Memorable characters will create a sense of empathy, attachment, and emotion for the player. They will also help you convey your core idea through their actions, dialogues, and interactions.

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5 Build a rich setting

Your setting is the world or environment where your game narrative takes place. Your setting should be rich, meaning that it has depth, detail, and diversity. It should also have history, culture, and logic that make it believable and consistent. A rich setting will create a sense of immersion, exploration, and discovery for the player. It will also help you establish the mood, the atmosphere, and the style of your game narrative.

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6 Use different media

Your game narrative is not limited to text or voice. You can use different media to tell your story, such as visuals, sounds, music, animations, and interactivity. Different media can enhance your game narrative by adding variety, expression, and impact. They can also appeal to different senses, emotions, and learning styles of your audience. To use different media effectively, you need to balance them, integrate them, and align them with your core idea and your genre.

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Jonathan Gronli, MA, MLIS

Writer, editor, narrative designer, QA tester, library worker, podcast editor and producer. In D&D terms, Neutral Good Wizard/Bard.
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Some of the games that actually hit hardest for me were things that engaged me in a variety of ways. Parasite Eve with the original game was a sequel to the 1995 Hideaki Sena novel and the 1997 Masayuki Ochiai film. Alan Wake, aside from text, music, and video within the game, had a Internet series following a journalist who stumbles across weird stuff as well the novelization and The Alan Wake Files to further flesh out characters and the world. The games that stick most with people are the games that become storied experiences. Some don't work as well as others. For example, Quantum Break felt more like an experiment with good content, but fell kind of flat. However, when this works out, it's absolutely amazing.

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7 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that donâ€™t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Game Development

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How can you create a game narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Define your core idea

3 Create a dynamic plot

4 Develop memorable characters

5 Build a rich setting

6 Use different media

7 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Game Development

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How can you create a game narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Know your audience

2 Define your core idea

3 Create a dynamic plot

4 Develop memorable characters

5 Build a rich setting

6 Use different media

7 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Game Development

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