Interactive Stories
Being a game designer means creating experiences for people. And one of the most powerful ways we make sense of experiences is by telling stories. This means that, as a game designer, you need be aware of what makes a good story.
While storytelling has a rich history, adding the interactivity into the mix changes things. Agency affects the reader's experience and the writer's creative process. Allowing different paths through a narrative requires all routes to be considered and playtesting to be a crucial part of the process. It's also very important to be aware of scope.
For this project, you will be creating a short narrative game. Your game should allow the player to explore and experience a non-linear story (Gauntlet's are fine). Consider giving yourself some creative constraints to simplify and focus your game. Using Twine or ChoiceScript as your development tool will help in this regard. If you need some help creatively, consider using one of the following constraints (not required):
- Create a short Black Mirror episode by following the instructions in this document.
- Choose a 'shape' from Kurt Vonnegut's rejected thesis.
- Choose a 'shape' (or more than one) from Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern.
