Narrative Structures For Better Game Design

What the talk is about

Ranko Trifkovic explains the difference between writing a game and writing for a game, and why story structure matters in both. When a game is built like a novel (interactive fiction, visual novels), plot and theme carry everything. When narrative serves game design, it must match the emotions and core actions of the player. He shows how structure maps help keep non-linearity under control: episode maps, game flow maps and a "perception map" tracking what the player knows at each moment. Using two games, an interactive fiction title and a cyberpunk noir detective adventure, he shows how to make a linear story interactive and how choices that gradually change the character add replayability. He also advises liveops teams to build on characters and relationships rather than a final plot. Useful for game designers, narrative designers and writers.