Storytelling through game mechanics

What the talk is about

A panel of game designers and producers discusses how to tell a story through game mechanics rather than text alone. Participants weigh the strengths of text (cheap to produce, though costlier once localized) against other tools: level design, lighting, animation, voice-over and the world reacting to player actions. They give examples of games where emotions such as fear, loss, guilt and anxiety come from mechanics: controls, taking away a character, consequences of how resources are spent, moral choices. They argue that choices should hint at their consequences and fit the hero's role, and that dialogue should be short yet lively. On the future, they mention less text in casual games, simulation systems where players create their own plot, and narrative mobile games. Useful for game and narrative designers.