What's your strategy for setting the tone in your game narrative?

1 Define your genre and themes

Before you start writing your game narrative, you should have a clear idea of what genre and themes you want to explore. Genre is the category or style of your game, such as horror, fantasy, sci-fi, or comedy. Themes are the central ideas or messages that you want to convey, such as love, betrayal, survival, or justice. By defining your genre and themes, you can narrow down your tone options and choose the ones that best suit your game's purpose and audience.

2 Use visual and audio cues

One of the most powerful ways to set the tone in your game narrative is to use visual and audio cues that match your genre and themes. Visual cues include the color palette, lighting, textures, and animations of your game. Audio cues include the music, sound effects, and voice acting of your game. For example, if you want to create a dark and tense tone, you can use low-key lighting, muted colors, harsh sounds, and somber music. If you want to create a bright and cheerful tone, you can use high-key lighting, vibrant colors, upbeat sounds, and lively music.

3 Choose your perspective and voice

Another way to set the tone in your game narrative is to choose your perspective and voice. Perspective is the point of view from which you tell your story, such as first-person, second-person, or third-person. Voice is the personality and attitude of your narrator or characters, such as formal, casual, sarcastic, or sincere. For example, if you want to create a immersive and personal tone, you can use a first-person perspective and a voice that reflects your protagonist's thoughts and feelings. If you want to create a distant and objective tone, you can use a third-person perspective and a voice that describes the events and actions without emotion.

4 Vary your pacing and structure

Another way to set the tone in your game narrative is to vary your pacing and structure. Pacing is the speed and rhythm of your story, such as fast, slow, steady, or erratic. Structure is the way you organize and present your story, such as linear, nonlinear, branching, or episodic. For example, if you want to create a dynamic and suspenseful tone, you can use a fast pacing and a nonlinear structure that keeps the players on their toes. If you want to create a calm and relaxing tone, you can use a slow pacing and a linear structure that lets the players enjoy the scenery and dialogue.

5 Write with clarity and consistency

The final way to set the tone in your game narrative is to write with clarity and consistency. Clarity means that your writing is easy to understand and follow, without confusing or distracting the players. Consistency means that your writing maintains the same tone throughout your game, without contradicting or changing abruptly. For example, if you want to create a humorous and witty tone, you can use a clear and consistent writing style that delivers jokes and puns without breaking the immersion or logic of your game.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?