Choose an Appropriate Method for Storytelling
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There are numerous methods to convey your story to players, and it is essential to determine which approaches best suit your game to maintain player interest. As players gradually uncover the story, certain elements will gain or lose significance based on their experiences. If you decide that specific parts of the story must be emphasized, you should employ storytelling techniques that minimize the likelihood of those elements being skipped or overlooked.
Example:
If you intend to guide players toward locations where critical story events occur, employ non-player characters to direct players to these areas through dialogue. To ensure these dialogues occur, you must design the game in such a way that players are compelled to interact with those characters.
If you wish to convey an important story element and subsequently remind players of it, you may utilize different narrative techniques for each instance.
Example:
Players may witness an event through a cutscene, and the game can later reiterate its significance via a text block.
If you choose to present your story through written forms such as books, letters, or reports, keep in mind that some players may not be inclined to read these texts and might prefer engaging in other activities. Therefore, you should allow players the option to skip reading. However, if your goal is to let players freely explore while simultaneously following the narrative, consider displaying the text alongside a voice recording so players can listen as they continue playing.
In Gone Home, players are free to move and interact with objects while listening to voice-overs.
Credit: The Fullbright Company. Footage captured by the author.
Barks
Barks are brief spoken expressions delivered by non-player characters or the player character. These may include short sentences, banter, or chatter that bring vibrancy to the game world, although they do not typically contribute significantly to the core narrative. When incorporating barks, consider the context in which characters might naturally deliver them. It is crucial that barks feel organic and reflect the events occurring in the game.
While non-player characters may bark at one another, they can also direct barks toward the player. This can occur in situations such as:
Reacting to the player’s presence, whether positively or negatively.
Expressing agreement with the player’s actions, such as saving a benevolent NPC.
Expressing disapproval of the player’s choices, such as eliminating a kind NPC.
Commenting on something notable about the player, such as the weapon they are carrying.
Be cautious not to overwhelm gameplay with excessive chatter, jokes, or barks, as this can detract from immersion and realism.
Books
Books can serve as a means of conveying information about the game world, its characters, significant locations, historical background, or prior events that have occurred before the player entered the world.
Cutscenes
Cutscenes offer a visually and aurally rich method of storytelling, capable of eliciting emotions more effectively than plain text or audio recordings. However, they limit player interaction with the game world during playback, rendering the experience passive—which is not the primary reason most players engage with games. Additionally, watching cutscenes requires less imagination compared to reading or listening to narration.
Although cutscenes can be compelling, it is important to recognize the challenges associated with creating pre-rendered sequences, which are often complex, time-consuming, and costly. Alternatively, cutscenes can be created using the game engine, which, while potentially less visually impressive, offers a more efficient solution. When crafting cutscenes, you can employ a variety of camera techniques—such as zooms, parallax, and movement—to evoke emotion and convey story elements. Even brief cutscenes can be impactful without excessively interrupting player interaction.
Dialogues
Dialogues involve two or more characters exchanging thoughts and perspectives. They are highly effective for conveying character development, interpersonal relationships, and contextual information about the game world.
Additionally, dialogues can offer gameplay hints. Players may glean useful information not only from conversations in which they participate, but also from those occurring between non-player characters.
Environmental Storytelling
This technique uses visual or auditory clues placed in the environment to convey narrative content. One of the key advantages of environmental storytelling is that it allows players to control the pacing of their experience. They may choose to explore thoroughly or proceed quickly, depending on their preferences and how many clues they wish to uncover.
This method is particularly appealing to players who dislike reading large blocks of text, as it allows them to piece together the story more organically. It can also guide players along a desired path without direct instruction.
In Gone Home, a folder marked with four large numbers suggests its importance in progressing through the game.
Credit: The Fullbright Company. Screenshot captured by the author.
To interpret these environmental hints, players will rely on knowledge gained during gameplay as well as their real-world experiences. This introduces the possibility of misinterpretation, which may lead to negative consequences such as the death of the player character or another important figure.
Environmental storytelling can greatly enhance the realism and depth of digital worlds.
In Gone Home, Sam leaves a letter for Katie on the front door.
Credit: The Fullbright Company. Screenshot captured by the author.
Sometimes, a combination of clues can tell a short story that complements the main narrative.
In Gone Home, numerous clues scattered throughout the house enable players to infer unique stories about each room.
Credit: The Fullbright Company. Screenshot captured by the author.
It is important to recognize that a single clue may be interpreted differently by different players.
In Sniper Elite 4, players may come across corpses with no clear explanation for how they died.
Credit: Rebellion Developments. Screenshot captured by the author.
If a clue is critical to understanding the main narrative, it must be designed in such a way that players can reasonably interpret it correctly.
Flashbacks
Flashbacks allow players to relive past events. If you choose to implement this feature, ensure that actions taken in the past affect the present logically. For instance, if the player speaks with a character in the present but later kills that character during a flashback, it would be illogical for the character to remain alive. A solution would be to allow players to progress only if that character has survived in the past.
Inner Voices, Visions, and Hallucinations
The player character may experience inner voices, visions, or hallucinations as part of the storytelling process, offering unique narrative perspectives.
Mission Briefings
Mission briefings provide essential information about the current situation, commonly used in military campaigns within strategy games, simulations, or first-person shooters. These briefings may occur before or during missions, offering visuals such as photographs of enemy territory, unit types, and enemy deployments.
Before the first mission in Sniper Elite 4, the player character outlines the objectives.
Credit: Rebellion Developments. Footage captured by the author.
Monologues
Monologues focus on a single character expressing internal thoughts. This method is effective for revealing the inner world and motivations of that character, thereby enhancing player understanding and emotional connection.
Pieces of Music
Various events or player actions can trigger music playback. Music may begin automatically when players enter a particular area, or players might activate it manually using devices such as turntables, radios, or cassette players.
Gone Home features several songs that can be played using a turntable or cassette player.
Credit: The Fullbright Company. Footage captured by the author.
Text Blocks
Text blocks are the most basic form of storytelling. They allow players to read at their own pace or quickly skim for relevant information. However, long text passages may disengage certain players, so it is advisable to offer the option to skip them. For games that are short and simple, a higher volume of textual storytelling may still be appropriate and effective.