Game Design Studio 1

Week 03: Designing Narratives

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53294977

Today’s Schedule

What are we doing today?

• Examining the 3 Act Structure
• Examining the Hero’s Journey
• Examining Tropes and Clichés
• Let’s design a game!
Learning Outcomes

• Be able to design compelling narratives that follow the 3 act

structure and hero’s journey
• Become familiar with different narrative tropes and
understand how to apply them
• Be aware of clichés and how to avoid them
Storytelling
Storytelling

• Stories can add significantly to your game design… but they

take a lot of time to get right.
• You may be tempted to spend less time on the story,
however, stories have some strong points in favour of their
inclusion….
• Make the game more entertaining to certain audiences (a Player-
centric design duty)
• Attract a wider audience
• Keep players interested… reduce boredom in ‘grind’ games
• Help sell the game… easier to describe a story than gameplay
Storytelling

• Stories are used in a game is to provide information to the

player
• This information can serve a variety of purposes:
• Provide ‘flavour’ to the game
• Give motivation to the game characters and the player
• For example... ‘Why’ the player cares about saving the village
• Provide direction to the player’s actions
• For example... How the player can save the village
• Assist the player in understanding the kinds of things they can do
Storytelling

These stories can be presented in many explicitly and implicitly different forms:
• Written/Spoken in game
• Machinima
• Cut Scenes
• The players actions (or the actions of NPCs)
Storytelling

• In novels, movies and games, the story can exist on several

different levels
• Non-diegetic material is that which is outside the story universe
• The story is the recounted material. It encompasses back story and
it’s direction is decided throughout the game
• The plot is the extraneous material; what the player does to affect
the story
Storytelling
Storytelling

• Only in games though can we can break up the plot into two
distinct parts:
• The narrative… we define narrative to be the part of the story
that is told by the game designer to the player; narrative is a non-
interactive process where the player is a passive participant
• The interactive generation of story by the player’s actions…
here the player is an active participant of the storytelling
• The overall story exists in the simulated game universe… we
can call this the setting
Storytelling

• Games can have little or no story (arcade games/puzzle

games), a moderate story (strategy and first-person shooting
games) or a lot of story (role playing and adventure games)
• Some games seem to have a large story element but the
story acts to flavour the game and has no relevance to actual
gameplay (a different story wouldn’t change the game much)
• The most important thing to remember is that if you’re
designing a game that is driven by the storyline, it is crucial
that you get it right.
Storytelling

story based
gameplay
no story

Increased game complexity

Storytelling
Active vs Passive Storytelling

• Novels and movies usually contain a dramatic tension; that

is, an unresolved issue, problem or conflict that attracts the
audience and keeps their attention.
• With games, this dramatic tension can be:
• Passive (narrative tension)… These are more like traditional
novel tension devices, which the narrative reveals to the player
and relies on player identifying with character in game
• Active (gameplay tension)… This represents the challenges in
the game that the player must solve and is independent of
character (e.g. Space Invaders)
Storytelling
Active vs Passive Storytelling

• Game designers need to be aware that there is an inherent

tension between the active and passive modes in the game.
• Generally, when you increase the tension in the interactive
part of a game (the gameplay tension), you decrease the
non-interactive (dramatic) tension.
• Too much interactivity will please hard-core gamers, but bore
casual gamers, while too much narrative will make the story
feel like it is on ‘rails’, isolating the player.
Storytelling
Active vs Passive Storytelling

• A classic mistake that many designers make is to take control

of the player’s character
• The danger in this is that by making the player a passive
observer you risk destroying the suspension of disbelief
(more on this later)
• If you need to drive the story somewhere, you can change
the world (NPCs, environment, etc.) instead
Storytelling
Active vs Passive Storytelling

• Another common mistake that novice game designers can

make is to create an overly dense narrative. Remember, if
the player wanted a story and nothing else, they might just as
well read a book or watch a movie.
• Interactivity is the key to involving the player. Don’t force the
story onto the player in a way that restricts gameplay.
• A good rule to follow is that you should consider the player to
be the primary storyteller. The game structure allows the
player to create the story for the majority of the storyline.
Narrative Design
Narrative Plan

• Coming up with original, compelling narratives can be quite

tricky
• A narrative plan is a useful tool to help us when designing
narratives
• This sheet can also be found on Moodle if you want to print
more yourself as you design more narratives (They provide a
good starting point for your assignment)
Narrative Plan

Two things to keep in mind when writing our narrative plans

• It is not the same as writing a narrative. Once you finish
planning your narrative you are still expected to actually write
it!
• It is not a script. It should not include any character dialogue
or information about cutscenes or gameplay – just focus on
the actual story.
Narrative Plan

• We will be using Uncharted as an example in the slides

• This is to provide you with an idea of the kind of information
that you should be including in your narrative plans
• Please note however, while it is ok to take inspiration
from existing narratives. Your design must be original!
Narrative Setting
Setting

• One method of designing a narrative is to come up with a

setting first, then use it as inspiration for the rest of the design
• It could be based on a real setting or fictional. Must be
original
• If you are having trouble coming up with an idea, try
describing your home town
• You may also wish to draw a map or some other aspect of
the setting to help get across your idea
Setting

Things to consider:
• Where is it set? Is it a real or fictional location?
• When is it set? Is it set in the past, present or future?
• Describe the setting. What is the geography like? How is
the society structured? What are the major political factions
and religious beliefs? Were there any major historical events?
Setting
Suspension of Disbelief
Suspension of Disbelief

• The Suspension of disbelief is a concept originally penned by

the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• In movies, novels and game design, it refers to the ability of
the story to immerse the viewer/reader
• For games, this means that the better the game supports the
story, the greater the emotional investment the player has in
the game
Suspension of Disbelief

• Poor design breaks suspension of disbelief… for example,

when a game character does something that is inconsistent
to their personality, but is needed to drive the story forward
• When suspension of disbelief fails, the game design lacks
harmony… harmony refers to the overall consistency and
believability of the game
• When you add something to a game, you need to look at if it
is in harmony with the rest… adding something just because
it is “cool” might interfere with the consistency of the game
world
Stories in Games
Stories in Games

• Games can present their storylines in the game timeline in

several ways, we’ll discuss this in more detail next week.
• Back Story
• Main Storyline
• Non-linear story
• Branching story
• Interactive story
• Dynamic story
Stories in Games
Back Story

• Occurs before the game begins

• Supplies setting
• Introduces characters
• Provides information
• About the gameworld (player may not be familiar with this)
• About situation (what is the player’s quest?)
• The back story might be very brief (“save the world!”) or quite
complex. As the designer, you should limit yourself to a
suitable complexity; it is often better to have less than more.
• In some games, the back story provides the entire Act1
sequence of information, throwing the player immediately into
the action of Act2.
Stories in Games
The Main Storyline

• Occurs during the game

• Helps immerse the player… the suspension of disbelief
• Supplies information to the player
• Gives plot points that provide dramatic tension in the game
• The main storyline is typically the Act2 sequence of events.
• Most games have linear stories… this isn’t the only way to
construct a game though.
Stories in Games
The Linear Story

• Narrative in games is often linear, unaffected by the player’s

actions and unchanged each time the player plays the game.
Many designers see this as a limitation. In recent years,
there has been a lot of discussion regarding bringing non-
linearity into games.
• Automated storytelling is the holy grail of computer game
design… but a linear story isn’t necessarily bad!
• Many good games have a linear narrative driving the plot
• Having scripted events in the story allows the player to be
challenged to fit into these events
• These scripted events are part of the in-game story
• If these events only loosely affect game play, the designer
can provide direction and interest without overly restricting
player actions
Stories in Games
The Non-Linear Story

• One way to create a non-linear story is to present the game

timeline out of sequence
• The ‘flashback’ is a standard movie example of this
• But since the player understands narrative by cause and
effect, you risk creating situations that break suspension of
disbelief.
• You can also create a non-linear story by using
• Branching storylines
• Interactive storylines
• Dynamic storylines
Stories in Games
Stories in Games
The Non-Linear Story

• Branching storylines :
• Gives the illusion of choice
• The player feels in control of the story
• Still allows directorial control over pacing and plot points
• Adds replay value
• Interactive storylines:
• Allows greater interaction with world
• Interactions have cause and effect
• The player’s actions change the world around them and/or the
story
Stories in Games
The Non-Linear Story

• Dynamic storylines:
• Random plot development
• Usually leads to ineffective narratives
• Heuristically developed plot
• Complete player freedom
The 3 Act Structure
3 Act Structure

• We have alluded to the notion of “acts” in our story

• The most common narrative structure in mainstream films is
called the Classical Narrative
• A Classical Narrative Structure is based on three-act format:
• Act I – the setup
• Act II – the development
• Act III – the Resolution
3 Act Structure

• Almost all narratives in games, movies and books across all

cultures follow the 3 act structure
• The 3 act structure separates the narrative into 3 distinct
sections or ‘acts’
• Put simply, this refers to a beginning (act 1), a middle (act 2),
and an end (act 3)
3 Act Structure

Act 1 (Beginning)
• Introduces the setting, major characters and the catalyst for
the story

Act 2 (Middle)
• The longest act
• This is where the bulk of the story takes place
• In a game this is generally majority of the experience
Act 3 (End)
• Resolves the story
• Reveals the impact of the story on the setting and major
characters
The Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey

• In a compelling narrative our hero character should evolve

over the course of the story – this makes the story matter
• This could be either a physical evolution or an emotional one
• This evolution is commonly referred to as ‘The hero’s journey’

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52637517

The Hero’s Journey
Follows a general pattern

Act 1 (Beginning)
• The Ordinary World
• The Call to Adventure
• The Refusal of the Call
• The Meeting with the Mentor
• The Crossing of the First Threshold
The Hero’s Journey
Follows a general pattern

Act 2 (Middle)
• Test, Allies and Enemies
• The Approach to the Innermost Cave
• The Ordeal
• The Reward
• The Road Back
The Hero’s Journey

• Wait a minute… Hero, Mentor, Allies – these sound like

character archetypes!
• Hopefully by now you are beginning to see how the various
character archetypes play a role in the hero’s journey
Act 1
Act 1
The Ordinary World

• Introduces the setting and major characters

• Describe how each character fits into your setting
• Your character’s background should already provide some
details about where they live, what they do and their
relationships with other characters

By Source, Fair use, https://fable.fandom.com/wiki/Oakvale

Act 1
The Call To Adventure

• The catalyst for the story, this is the reason the hero
must undertake their journey
• This is the herald, it could be a character, or it could be a
letter the hero receives or an event that the hero cannot
ignore
• Remember to make it clear why the hero is the one receiving
the call to adventure
Act 1
The Refusal of the Call

• Introduces a reluctant hero who wishes to remain in the

ordinary world, despite the call to adventure
• Here the hero’s flaws are revealed, this is typically
foreshadowing how they will evolve over the course of the
journey
• This doesn’t have to be taken literally, the hero may not be
the one refusing the call, perhaps they are prevented from
accepting the call by another character or obstacle
Act 1
The Meeting with the Mentor

• The hero meets the mentor and is convinced to

undertake the journey
• Remember to make it clear how or why the hero is convinced
• Again, this does not have to be literal, perhaps an obstacle is
removed allowing the hero to accept the call to adventure
Act 1
The Crossing of the First Threshold

• The hero sets out on their journey, leaving the ordinary

world behind
• Remember to make the goals of the hero clear
• Also consider who they are setting out with – are they
travelling with any allies?
Act 2
Act 1
Act 2
Tests, Allies and Enemies

• The hero faces challenges, conflict and gains allies

• This is where the bulk of our gameplay would take place, but
we are only concerned with the story for now
• Here is where the hero’s allies would help them overcome an
insurmountable challenge
• There may be a guardian preventing the hero from
progressing until they pass a test
Act 2
The Approach to the Innermost Cave

• The lead up to the climax

• Here is where the goals of the shadow, or villain, usually
become clear to the hero
• The setting of the major conflict is revealed, obviously it does
not have to be a literal cave 
Act 2
The Ordeal

• The major conflict of the story

• This is where the hero overcomes the shadow, or villain
Act 2
The Reward

• The evolution of the hero is complete

• This doesn’t refer to a literal reward of gold or money, but
rather the reward of personal growth
• How has the hero evolved over the course of the journey?
This could be either physical or emotional evolution
• Did the hero achieve their goals?
• Did the shadow, or villain, achieve theirs?
Act 2
The Road Back

• The hero sets out to return to the ordinary world

• Are they returning to the same location they set out from, or
somewhere new?
• Are they still travelling with their allies?
Act 2
Act 3
Act 3
The Resurrection (Optional)

• An optional final conflict or challenge for the hero to

overcome
• Remember this does not have to mean the shadow, or villain,
is literally resurrected, but rather the conflict itself
• This is also sometimes referred to as a ‘plot twist’, or
unexpected outcome
• This could be where the shapeshifter’s true intentions are
revealed
Act 3
The Return with the Reward

• The hero returns to the ordinary world with the reward

• The impact of the story on the major characters and setting is
revealed
• All major story elements are resolved
• How are the major characters affected?
• Has the setting returned to normal or has it changed in some
way?
Act 3
Plot Tropes
Plot Tropes

• (Broadly speaking) there are 3 types of plot

• Plots of fortune
• Plots of character
• Plots of thought
• A plot is “a series of causally related events, involving some
sort of conflict (or tension), leading (probably) to a climax and
(possibly) to a resolution.” (Jack Hodgins)
Plot Tropes
Plots of Fortune

• The action plot (what happens next)

• The pathetic plot (things happen to a character through no
fault of her/his own)
• The tragic plot (a sympathetic character is responsible for
his/her own downfall)
• The sentimental plot (a sympathetic character survives
misfortune)
• The admiration plot (a character outdoes himself in getting
through misfortune)
Plot Tropes
Plots of Character

• The maturing plot (a purposeless protagonist finds direction

and strength)
• The reform plot (a protagonist makes the right choice at last,
after many wrong choices)
• The testing plot (a protagonist is pressured to compromise
her/his principles)
Plot Tropes
Plots of Thought

• The educational plot (a character undergoes threat and

comes out a better person)
• The revelation plot (a protagonist must discover the truth)
• The affective plot ( a protagonist comes to see another
character more truly)
• The disillusionment plot (a sympathetic character suffers loss
and loses faith completely)
Plot Tropes
20 Master Plots

In the book 20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them), Ronald B. Tobias lists the following:

– Quest – Transformation
– Adventure – Maturation
– Pursuit – Love
– Rescue – Forbidden Love
– Escape – Sacrifice
– Revenge – Discovery
– The Riddle – Wretched Excess
– Rivalry – Ascension
– Underdog – Descension
– Metamorphosis – Temptation
Narrative Tropes
Narrative Tropes

• A trope can provide us with additional story elements,

including settings, characters, and conflicts, allowing us to
continue to write our narrative in a more structured manner
• We have already been using some tropes in our narrative
• Character Archetypes, The Hero’s Journey, ‘Show, Don’t Tell’
are all narrative tropes!
Narrative Tropes

• TV Tropes is an excellent website tool for learning about

different tropes
• In addition to explanations of tropes it provides examples
applied in modern media and throughout history
• https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NarrativeTropes
• Some common narrative tropes include:
• Overcoming the Monster
• The Quest
• Rebirth
• The Plot Device
Narrative Tropes
Overcoming the Monster

• The hero must set out to defeat an evil monster who

threatens to destroy their world

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3913820

 Narrative Tropes
The Quest

• The hero must set out to find an object or character of great

importance

By Source, Fair use, https://www.redbull.com/us-en/the-amazing-mods-we-want-for-fallout-4

Narrative Tropes
Rebirth

• The morally conflicted hero realizes the error of their ways

before it is too late and is redeemed
• This is also known as Redemption

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50803384

Narrative Tropes
The Plot Device

Is an object, character, or event whose sole purpose is to advance the story

• The Artefact of Attraction
• Chekhov’s Gun
• The Death Trap
• Deus ex Machina
• The Plot Coupon
• The Red Herring
Narrative Tropes
The Artifact of Attraction

• The Artifact of Attraction is typically a unique object that

characters obsess over
• This obsession is usually so strong that characters are willing
to go to any length to obtain/retain the object
• Even betraying one another
Narrative Tropes
The Artifact of Attraction

By Source, Fair use, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArtifactOfAttraction

Narrative Tropes
Chekhov’s Gun

• Chekhov’s Gun refers to a seemingly insignificant object,

event or character that later turns out to be extremely
important
• It is usually obtained or encountered by the hero toward the
beginning of the story, and is often used as a means of
foreshadowing events to come
Narrative Tropes
Chekov’s Gun

By Source, Fair use, https://aliens.fandom.com/wiki/Keeper_(Mass_Effect)?file=Keeper_at_Presidium.png

Narrative Tropes
The Death Trap

• The Death Trap refers to the shadow, or villain, using overly

complex means to attempt to defeat the hero
• This usually unintentionally provides the hero with a chance
to escape or defeat the shadow, or villain
Narrative Tropes
The Death Trap

By Source, Fair use, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-20/goldfinger-laser-scene-2/10638560

Narrative Tropes
Deus ex Machina

• Deus ex Machina refers to a seemingly unsolvable problem

being solved unexpectedly through the sudden introduction of
a new event, object or character
Narrative Tropes
Deus ex Machina

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1989139

Narrative Tropes
The Plot Coupon

• The Plot Coupon, of MacGuffin, is usually an object that a

character must obtain solely for the purpose of ‘cashing in’
later
• Unlike Chekhov’s Gun, the object itself is not important, and
could be interchanged with a different object without affecting
the story
Narrative Tropes
The Plot Coupon

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49509424

Narrative Tropes
The Red Herring

• The Red Herring is an event, object or character used to

misdirect the player
• This is most commonly used to make a character appear bad
when in fact they are good or vice versa
• It can also be used to make the player falsely anticipate
future events
Narrative Tropes
The Red Herring

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Clichés

• Clichés refer to tropes that have been used repeatedly in

almost the same way
• While not as negative as character stereotypes, clichés often
result in predictable and boring narratives
• It is our responsibility as game designers to recognise clichés
in our designs and eliminate them
• Let’s make sure that we haven’t accidentally used any clichés
in our narrative plans!
• If you have, take a moment now to modify the aspects of your
narrative plan that fall into this category
Story vs. Plot
Story vs. Plot

• When we think about stories in terms of both their content

and their design, we are looking at the Narrative Structure of
Stories
• “story” + “plot”
Story vs. Plot

• Why are we even pulling these apart? Aren’t they the same?
• No! The difference between a plot and a story is a subtle but
important one
• Story can be thought of as the structure… roughly speaking,
what happens
• Plot is the contents… what the meaning of the events are
• We could compare this to a journey
• Story is what happened on the journey and where you went
• Plot is how you felt about it, what you learnt, how the events led
from one to another (causality), how the destination changed you
Story vs. Plot
Plot

• Plot is the way events get revealed to the reader/audience

and how they relate to each other through relationship of
cause-effect.
• The key to plotting is that plot arises from characters under
adversity
• Plot forms the backbone of the events.
• Every character – even the minor ones - must have their own
agenda
• A plot always begins long before the story
Story vs. Plot
Plot

• The Video Game Plot Scale by Matthew Belinkie

http://www.overthinkingit.com/2011/08/30/video-game-plot-
scale/
• Consider these excerpts from the author:
• “I’ve been thinking about the increasing importance these stories
play in our gaming experience. It used to be that video games
were solely a test of skill. They might test your reflexes, your
ability to solve puzzles , or your ability to think strategically….
Story vs. Plot
Plot

• Consider these excerpts from the author:

• However, over the past 20 years, we’ve seen increasing
emphasis on plot. Target audiences got older and wanted more
sophisticated narratives than “our Princess is in another castle.”
The technology got good enough for cut scenes, first with text,
and then with voice acting. And while the early games were
written entirely by the programmers, it quickly became standard
for dedicated writers to be involved from day 1.”
Story vs. Plot
Plot

http://www.overthinkingit.com/2011/08/30/video-game-plot-scale/
Story vs. Plot
Plot

The Video Game Plot Scale

1. No plot at all (Tetris, Bejeweled, Minesweeper)
2. Tiny germ of a story (Super Mario Brothers, Frogger, Angry Birds, Double
Dragon, Contra, Mortal Kombat)
3. The setting plays a large part in the game, but there’s not much plot to speak
of (Left 4 Dead, Myst, SimCity, Portal)
4. Basic story shapes gameplay (Castlevania II, Civilization, Metroid)
5. A simple plot is gradually revealed (Call of Duty series, Halo series,
Bioshock)
6. Plot unfolds through frequent cut scenes (Ocarina of Time, Assassins Creed
series, Grand Theft Auto series, Red Dead Redemption, Shadow of the
Colossus)
7. Plot is complex and takes a lot of the player’s time (Mass Effect series, Final
Fantasy series, Fallout series, basically any RPG)
8. Plot is central, action scenes are optional (LA Noire)
9. Plot is everything, controller used only to advance the story (Heavy Rain)
Multi-Part Stories
Multi-Part Stories

• The 3-act format creates circular (closed) stories

• Stories that leave plot threads hanging are called ‘open’
stories
• This often this occurs when the designer is intending to
introduce further story elements at a later stage, and wants a
way to weave these into the previous stories
• Multipart stories like this are become more common, and
there is a lot of interest in this concept (since it makes more
money)
Multi-Part Stories

There are three general categories of multipart stories:

• Series… each episode has a self contained plot in a
consistent world with an overall theme
• Serials… there is an infinite sequence of episodes, with
unresolved plot points at the end of each
• Episodic Delivery… this is a combination of Series and
Serials stories. A story arc is self contained, with a distinct
beginning and end, but is developed over a limited number of
episodes. There is an infinite number of story arcs.
What’s Next?
Homework

• Your homework for this week is to finish writing your

narrative!
• The blank narrative plan is available on Moodle
• Try using some of the other narrative tropes
• Remember you will need to write a complete narrative
involving your characters as part of Assignment 1, so the
more you write now the less work you will have to do later 
Readings

• Jesper Juul has some very interesting articles on game theory

• http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/
• In particular, you should read “A clash between Game and Narrative”
• http://www.jesperjuul.net/thesis/
• Article on game design rules for episodic games
• http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17383
• Use of the Monomyth in film
• http://moongadget.com/origins/myth.html
Next Week

• Next week we will conclude our look at story in games by

learning how to critically analyse characters and narratives
• We will also examine some common narrative genre
conventions
• Make sure to bring your character sheets and narratives
along to class next week!