How and how not to write and make interactive story games — insights and fun stories

What the talk is about

Myla Mishchenko explains how to write and structure mobile interactive story games. She starts with audiences: teenagers like adventure, school drama and cartoonish art with little text, while adults prefer realistic plots, relationships and nostalgia. Women and men, and Western and Eastern players, also read romance and strong characters differently. Then structure: chapters of about 15–20 minutes, shorter chapters rather than giant ones, a fast introduction to the core conflict and love interest, and standalone stories rather than a long series for new studios. She also covers monetization: paid choices should be set up by the plot, deliver a bigger and more interesting piece of content, and never feel like extortion. Other topics are how to word choices, happy endings, and caution with erotic content and age ratings. Useful for narrative designers and writers.