Games & Virtual Worlds Series

Narrative Elements

Understanding Games: How Video Games & Board Games Work

Michael Filimowicz, PhD

Published in

Understanding Games

13 min readJan 3, 2023

Narrative elements are vital in board game design because they allow players to connect with the game world, the characters, and the story, and to feel like they are making progress and having an impact as they play.

Themes & Storyworlds

A storyworld is a universe, which can be fictional or fact-based, in which a narrative takes place. It is the setting, context, and backdrop for a story. The defining features of a storyworld can vary widely, depending on the genre, style, and tone of the story. Some common features of a storyworld might include its geography, history, culture, customs, technology, and laws. A storyworld may also include characters, organizations, and institutions that play a role in the story.

One of the key defining features of a storyworld is its internal logic and consistency. A well-crafted storyworld will have a set of rules and conventions that are followed throughout the story, and these rules should be consistent with one another. A storyworld may also be grounded in real-world concepts and ideas, or it may be completely fantastical and imagined.

Another defining feature of a storyworld is its level of detail. Some storyworlds are highly detailed and immersive, with a rich history and a vast array of characters and locations. Other storyworlds may be more minimalistic, with a focus on a few key elements or ideas.

Ultimately, the defining features of a storyworld depend on the specific needs and goals of the story being told. A storyworld can be a rich and complex setting that serves as a backdrop for a wide range of stories, or it can be a more simple and straightforward setting that serves as a foundation for a specific narrative.

A theme is a central idea or message that is expressed or implied in a work of literature, film, or other narrative art form. Themes can be broad or specific, and they can be expressed in a variety of ways, including through character development, plot, setting, or symbolism.

Some well-known examples of themes in narrative include:

Love: This is a common theme in many stories, and it can take many different forms, including romantic love, familial love, and self-love.

Overcoming adversity: Many stories center on characters who face challenges or obstacles and must find a way to overcome them. This theme can be about overcoming external challenges, such as poverty or injustice, or internal challenges, such as self-doubt or addiction.

The search for meaning: This theme involves characters who are searching for purpose or meaning in their lives, often through self-discovery or spiritual enlightenment.

Good vs. evil: This theme is often found in stories with a moral or ethical component, and it centers on the conflict between good and evil forces.

Coming of age: This theme involves characters who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, and it often explores the challenges and lessons that come with this process.

A theme is a central idea or message that is expressed or implied in a work of literature, film, or other narrative art form. It is a broad concept that is often explored through the characters, plot, and setting of a story.

Motifs, on the other hand, are specific symbols, images, or ideas that are repeated throughout a work of literature or film. Motifs can help to reinforce a theme or to add depth and complexity to a story.

Genres are categories or types of literature or film that share certain conventions and characteristics. Some common genres include romance, mystery, science fiction, and horror. Genres often have their own set of conventions and expectations, and they can influence the themes and motifs that are present in a work.

So, while a theme is a broad idea that underlies a story, motifs are specific elements that help to reinforce or expand upon the theme, and genres are categories of literature or film that have their own conventions and characteristics.

Themes work best when narrowly focused. To give just one example, the word “war” is just too general to serve as a useful theme. Is it a game about the horrors of war? To recognize the sacrifices of those who serve in the armed forces? Is it about the civilian victims of war that are usually left out of war games and stories? Simply comparing these overarching concepts about “war” reveals substantial distinctions that call for radically different designs.

A theme concept can be completely unrelated to the storyworld. A ‘death and dying’ theme can take place surrounded by the grandiose pyramids of ancient Egypt, or a donut shop down the street. An ‘importance of family’ theme can take place in a yurt or a spaceship. If you want to thematize ‘endurance and bravery,’ you can show that in a mountain trek across Orc Land or a traffic jam scenario.

In terms of how the theme links to plot, in particular, the main character’s story arc frequently acts out the theme in the clearest way. What the story’s protagonist discovers or considers is almost always what the player will discover or ponder. If the protagonist changes and becomes less self-centered, the story’s moral to the audience will be to do the same. The protagonist’s growth in self-sufficiency highlights the peril of relying on others too heavily.

A solid theme provides structure for both the process of designing a game, and the player experience of the gameplay.

Narratives

The basic elements of narrative are:

Characters: The people or creatures who populate the story and drive the action.

Plot: The series of events that make up the story, including the conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Setting: The time and place in which the story takes place, including the physical location, the historical context, and the social and cultural environment.

Point of view: The perspective from which the story is told, including first-person, third-person, and omniscient.

Theme: The central idea or message that is expressed or implied in the story.

Tone: The overall mood or atmosphere of the story, which can be serious, lighthearted, romantic, etc.

Style: The way in which the story is written, including the use of figurative language, imagery, and literary devices.

Conflict: The struggle or problem that drives the action of the story, and that the characters must resolve.

Resolution: The way in which the conflict is resolved and the story comes to an end.

Linear media, like books and movies, have a beginning, middle, and end and the sequences of events follow in a fixed order, such as Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, or film frame #10056, #10057, and #10058 in the timeline. Games are different; their stories unfold in a way that players may influence and the sequence of events can shift with each playthrough. Role-playing games are an example of narrative-rich tabletop games with its rich character set, painted figures, player vocal improv and cool maps.

Most games have a more pared-down narrative in which there is just some general premise that defines where things are happening, what kind of character you are, and how you can win given your character’s general motivations, with artistic and textual elements that present narrative flashes or provide flavor and atmosphere throughout the turn taking that occurs.

In a game that has narrative elements, the abstract mechanics are the underlying rules and systems that govern the gameplay. These mechanics don’t directly relate to the story or theme of the game. Examples of abstract mechanics might include movement rules, resource management systems, or combat mechanics.

Representational mechanics, on the other hand, are gameplay elements that are directly tied to the story or theme of the game. These mechanics are often used to represent or simulate real-world concepts or ideas, and they help to bring the story to life in a more immersive and interactive way. Examples of representational mechanics might include dialogue choices, character progression systems, or branching storylines.

In a game with strong narrative elements, both abstract and representational mechanics can play an important role in shaping the player’s experience. The abstract mechanics provide the structure and challenge of the gameplay, while the representational mechanics help to create a more immersive and meaningful experience by connecting the gameplay to the story and theme of the game.

Narratology vs Ludology

The game design debate between ludologists and narratologists centers on the role of storytelling and narrative in games. Ludologists are game designers and scholars who focus on the mechanics and systems of gameplay, and they argue that the primary purpose of games is to provide a structured and challenging form of play. According to ludologists, the narrative elements of a game are secondary to the gameplay itself, and they should be designed in a way that serves the overall gameplay experience.

Narratologists, on the other hand, are game designers and scholars who focus on the storytelling and narrative aspects of games. They argue that the narrative elements of a game are just as important as the gameplay, and that games can be powerful mediums for telling stories and exploring themes. According to narratologists, the gameplay mechanics of a game should be designed in a way that supports and enhances the narrative experience.

The debate between ludologists and narratologists has played a significant role in the development of game design theory, and it has influenced the way that games are designed and played. While the debate is often framed as a dichotomy, many game designers and scholars believe that games can and should be both mechanically challenging and narratively rich, and that the two elements can work together to create a more immersive and meaningful experience for players.

Scenarios & Backstory

The scenario is the specific set of events, characters, and locations that make up the story as it is experienced by the player. The scenario includes the events that are shown or directly referenced in the game, as well as the choices and actions that the player makes. The scenario is what the player directly interacts with as they play through the game.

The backstory, on the other hand, is the history and context that surrounds the scenario. It includes events, characters, and information that are not directly shown or referenced in the game, but that help to provide context and depth to the story. The backstory can include information about the world, the characters, and the events leading up to the game’s scenario.

The scenario and the backstory can be closely interconnected, with elements of the backstory influencing the events and choices of the scenario. However, the scenario is the primary focus of the game, while the backstory is usually only hinted at or revealed through optional content or background information.

Embedded & Emergent Narratives

Embedded narratives are stories that are predetermined by the game designer and are presented to the player in a linear or branching manner. These narratives are usually presented through cutscenes, dialogue, or other in-game events, and they are designed to be experienced in a specific order.

Emergent narratives, on the other hand, are stories that emerge naturally from the gameplay mechanics and systems of the game. These narratives are not predetermined by the game designer, but rather they are created by the player as they interact with the game world and make their own choices and decisions. Emergent narratives are often open-ended and can vary widely depending on the player’s actions and the specific circumstances of their gameplay.

Both embedded and emergent narratives can be found in games, and they can both play a role in creating a rich and immersive storytelling experience. Embedded narratives provide a structured and directed story that the player experiences as they play through the game, while emergent narratives allow for more player agency and freedom in shaping the story.

Embedded narratives in games can use a variety of techniques to give players a sense of agency, including linear stories, branching plot trees, and web networks.

Linear stories, also known as “on rails” narratives, are stories that progress in a predetermined sequence, with little or no room for player choice or deviation. These types of narratives can still give players a sense of agency by presenting them with challenges and puzzles to solve, or by allowing them to make small choices or decisions within the overall structure of the story.

Branching plot trees are stories that allow the player to make choices that affect the direction of the story. These choices can be binary, with the player choosing one of two options, or they can be more complex, with multiple branching paths and a variety of possible outcomes. Branching plot trees allow for a greater degree of player agency, as the player can shape the direction of the story to some extent.

Web networks are a more complex form of branching plot tree, in which the player’s choices can lead to a wide range of possible outcomes and storylines. These narratives often have a large number of branching paths and a high degree of replayability, as the player can explore different choices and see how they affect the story.

These strategies, which can be combined into hybrid approaches, give players a sense of agency by allowing them to make choices and decisions that affect the direction of the story.

Emergent narrative in games is created by the player as they interact with the game world and make their own choices and decisions. Game designers can use a variety of techniques to create the conditions for emergent narrative to occur, including:

Open-world environments: Open-world games allow the player to explore a large and detailed game world, and to interact with characters and objects in a variety of ways. This can create a sense of freedom and agency that allows the player to create their own stories and experiences.

Sandbox gameplay: Sandbox games provide the player with a set of tools and resources, and allow them to create and experiment within a virtual environment. Sandbox games often have a high degree of player agency, and can be a rich source of emergent narrative.

Dynamic NPC (non-player character) behavior: NPC characters that have their own goals, motivations, and behaviors can create a sense of agency by reacting to the player’s actions in a believable and dynamic way. This can lead to unexpected and emergent narrative outcomes.

Procedural generation: Some games use procedural generation to create content and events that are unique to each player’s experience. This can lead to a high degree of replayability and emergent narrative potential.

Multiplayer gameplay: Multiplayer games can create emergent narratives by allowing players to interact with each other and shape the story through their actions and choices.

These methods give players the freedom and agency to create their own stories and experiences within the game world.

Bibliography & Further Reading

A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design by Anna Anthropy and Naomi Clark
A Theory of Fun for Game Design by Raph Koster
Advanced Game Design: A Systems Approach by Michael Sellers
An Introduction to Game Studies by Frans Mayra
Basics of Game Design by Michael Moore
Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made by Jason Schreier
Board Game Design Advice: From the Best in the World vol 1 by Gabe Barrett
Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: an Encyclopedia Of Mechanisms by Geoffrey Engelstein and Isaac Shalev
Character Development and Storytelling for Games by Lee Sheldon
Chris Crawford on Game Design by Chris Crawford
Clockwork Game Design by Keith Burgun
Elements of Game Design by Robert Zubek
Fundamentals of Game Design by Ernest Adams
Fundamentals of Puzzle and Casual Game Design by Ernest Adams
Game Design Foundations by Brenda Romero
Game Design Workshop by Tracy Fullerton
Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design by Ernest Adams and Joris Dormans
Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames edited by Chris Bateman
Games, Design and Play: A detailed approach to iterative game design by Colleen Macklin and John Sharp
Introduction to Game Systems Design by Dax Gazaway
Kobold Guide to Board Game Design by Mike Selinker, David Howell, et al
Kobold’s Guide to Worldbuilding edited by Janna Silverstein
Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design, 2nd Edition by Scott Rogers
Narrating Space / Spatializing Narrative: Where Narrative Theory and Geography Meet by Marie-Laure Ryan, Kenneth Foote, et al.
Narrative Theory: A Critical Introduction by Kent Puckett
Narrative Theory: Core Concepts and Critical Debates by David Herman, James Phelan, et al.
Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative, Fourth Edition by Mieke Bal
Practical Game Design by Adam Kramarzewski and Ennio De Nucci
Procedural Storytelling in Game Design by Tanya X. Short and Tarn Adams
Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing by Wendy Despain
Rules of Play by Salen and Zimmerman
Storyworlds Across Media: Toward a Media-Conscious Narratology (Frontiers of Narrative) by Marie-Laure Ryan, Jan-Noël Thon, et al
Tabletop Game Design for Video Game Designers by Ethan Ham
The Art of Game Design, 3rd Edition by Jesse Schell
The Board Game Designer’s Guide: The Easy 4 Step Process to Create Amazing Games That People Can’t Stop Playing by Joe Slack
The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative by H. Porter Abbott
The Grasshopper, by Bernard Suits
The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies by Bernard Perron and Mark J.P. Wolf
The Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory by David Herman
The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design by Flint Dille & John Zuur Platten
Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design by Gordon Calleja
Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know about Narrative Techniques by Evan Skolnick
Writing for Video Game Genres: From FPS to RPG edited by Wendy Despain
Writing for Video Games by Steve Ince
100 Principles of Game Design by DESPAIN