Game Design Concepts and Narrative Structures

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to game design, narrative structures, and notable games discussed in the lecture.

Fiasco

A game that revolves around player agency and interpersonal conflict.

Agency

The capacity of players to make choices and influence the outcome of a game.

Authorial Control

The degree to which the game designer maintains influence over the narrative and structure of the game.

Shape of Stories

Concepts defining the progression and structure of narrative arcs in storytelling.

Man in Hole

A narrative structure where the main character faces trouble but ultimately comes out better off.

Boy Meets Girl

A narrative shape that involves a character finding something wonderful, losing it, and ultimately regaining it.

From Bad to Worse

A story arc where the main character's situation consistently deteriorates without hope for improvement.

Lifelike Ambiguity

A storytelling technique used to create uncertainty about the outcomes of a story's developments.

Creation Story

Narrative patterns often found in various cultures that explain the origin of humankind and the universe.

Incremental Gifts from Deity

A motif where a higher power bestows increasingly complex blessings upon humanity.

Great Expectations

A novel by Charles Dickens that explores themes of societal class and personal growth.

Social Deduction Games

A genre of games where players must deduce each other's roles and intentions through interaction.

Disco Elysium

An RPG known for its rich narrative, unique art style, and dialogue-driven gameplay.

Dialog Trees

A branching structure that players navigate during conversations in video games.

Skill Checks

Mechanics in RPGs that determine success or failure based on a character's attributes.

Macrostructure

The overarching framework of a narrative that guides its delivery and pacing.

Modding

The process of altering or customizing a game, allowing for player-created content.

Linear Narrative

A storytelling method where events follow a straight, chronological order.

Dynamic Narrative

A narrative that evolves based on player choices and actions, creating different experiences.

Branching Narrative

A structure where player choices lead to different paths and outcomes in the story.

Emergent Narrative

A type of narrative that arises from player interactions rather than a scripted linear story.

TTRPG

Tabletop Role-Playing Game, a game played collaboratively with players taking on roles and characters.

Persona 5 UI

The user interface of Persona 5 that is designed to enhance player immersion, featuring a stylish aesthetic and intuitive navigation, reflecting the game's themes and art style.

Persona 5 Storyline

The narrative revolves around a group of high school students who form the "Phantom Thieves of Hearts" to change the hearts of corrupt adults, tackle societal issues, and navigate their personal struggles.

Disco Elysium narative

static non-linear

narrative structure combining elements of traditional storytelling with branching paths and multiple outcomes based on player choices.

games that are an example of static non-linear narrative

include titles like "Disco Elysium" and "Life is Strange" where choices significantly impact the story's direction and ending. They often feature character development and complex themes.

example of 5 Dynamic structure narrative games

include titles such as "The Last of Us Part II," "God of War," "Red Dead Redemption 2," "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt," and "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," which offer evolving storylines influenced by player actions and decisions.

Save the Date Gameplay Description

is a unique and subversive interactive narrative that plays with the concept of dating sims. Players experience multiple attempts to navigate a date that repeatedly ends in failure, challenging players' expectations of linear storytelling.

How Save the date Matches the Structure Static Non-Linear

narrative, as players encounter various outcomes based on their choices, leading to character development and thematic exploration, but within a framework that resets the date each time.

5 examples of games with modular narrative

include titles like "Mass Effect," "Detroit: Become Human," "Heavy Rain," "Life is Strange," and "The Walking Dead," where player choices lead to branching story paths and multiple endings. that allow players to explore different character relationships and consequences.

Gameplay description of Life is Strange

is an episodic graphic adventure game that follows a teenager named Max Caulfield who discovers she can rewind time, allowing her to alter past decisions and explore the consequences of her choices, leading to multiple narrative outcomes.

8 Examples of Games with Linear storytelling and Narrative

define linear story telling

A narrative structure where the story unfolds in a straight, chronological order, with little to no branching paths or player choices, leading to a single, predetermined outcome.