Difference between revisions of "Environmental Storytelling"
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''Storytelling that occurs through movement and exploration of an environment.'' | ''Storytelling that occurs through movement and exploration of an environment.'' | ||
| − | + | Many games tell stories as part of playing them. While this can be done through cutscenes and dialogues and thereby guarantee how the narration is done, an alternative is to use [[Environmental Storytelling]]. While focusing more on previous events than future events, this makes the unfolding take place as part of actual gameplay due to players noticing things about the game world, and lets players have a freedom to try and figure out what had happened or not. | |
For more on [[Environmental Storytelling]], see articles on Gamasutra<ref name="gamasutra"/>, presentations at Game Developers' Conference<ref name="robertson"/><ref name="smith"/>, and ''Game Design as Narrative Architecture'' by Jenkins<ref name="jenkins"/>. | For more on [[Environmental Storytelling]], see articles on Gamasutra<ref name="gamasutra"/>, presentations at Game Developers' Conference<ref name="robertson"/><ref name="smith"/>, and ''Game Design as Narrative Architecture'' by Jenkins<ref name="jenkins"/>. | ||
Revision as of 19:10, 17 April 2011
Storytelling that occurs through movement and exploration of an environment.
Many games tell stories as part of playing them. While this can be done through cutscenes and dialogues and thereby guarantee how the narration is done, an alternative is to use Environmental Storytelling. While focusing more on previous events than future events, this makes the unfolding take place as part of actual gameplay due to players noticing things about the game world, and lets players have a freedom to try and figure out what had happened or not.
For more on Environmental Storytelling, see articles on Gamasutra[1], presentations at Game Developers' Conference[2][3], and Game Design as Narrative Architecture by Jenkins[4].
This pattern is a still a stub.
Contents
Examples
The Bioshock series, as well as Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas all provide places where things and effects on the environment give hints of what has happened earlier. In many cases there are related things and effects in other places of the game world, and players that find these can piece together possible narratives.
Using the pattern
Diegetically Outstanding Features Big Dumb Objects Environmental Effects Props Landmarks
When using Environmental Storytelling to provide Narration Structures in games, it may be worth considering to combine this with other ways, e.g. Cutscenes or through Dialogues.
Diegetic Aspects
Interface Aspects
Narrative Aspects
Consequences
Environmental Storytelling is a way for games to have Narration Structures integrated into Levels and Game Worlds. Players have the Freedom of Choice to engage in these Narration Structures or not, but may have to do Puzzle Solving in order to figure out, or at least guess, what actually transpired.
Relations
Can Instantiate
Freedom of Choice, Narration Structures, Puzzle Solving
Can Modulate
Can Be Instantiated By
Big Dumb Objects, Diegetically Outstanding Features, Environmental Effects, Props
Can Be Modulated By
Possible Closure Effects
Potentially Conflicting With
History
New pattern created in this wiki.
References
- ↑ Gamasutra article about environmental storytelling..
- ↑ Robertson, M. Stop Wasting My Time and Your Money: Why Your Game Doesn’t Need a Story to be a Hit Presentation at GDC 2009.
- ↑ Smith, H. & Worch, M. “What Happened Here?” – Environmental Storytelling. Presentation at GDC 2010.
- ↑ Jenkins, H. article Game Design as Narrative Architecture.
Acknowledgements
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