Narrative Definitions for Game Design

Abstract

Enhancing the benefits of learning games by utilizing narratives or narrative elements is not a new idea. Many existing learning games utilize more or less story structures, virtual worlds, and various characters as a part of a story. Computer game genres, such as adventure games and role-playing games, have received a lot of attention in the field of serious games by researchers and game developers. Hence, the potential of narratives for learning support is already clearly recognized. However, narratives have not yet offered unambiguous solutions to the design of learning games. For example, more often than not the use of embedded stories does not lead to a desired outcome that is an entertaining and pedagogically effective game. Moreover, it is not theoretically clear what is the best way to utilize narratives in order to ease, support, and heighten the player’s learning process through computer game playing. This is a multidisciplinary design task and research problem that calls for interdisciplinary concepts and models. Existing narrative computer game design guidebooks and serious game design guidebooks outline the computer game designers’ current opinions on the potential of narrative game design. In this chapter, the authors focus on the concept of narrative and the definitions game designers form of the concept. The purpose is to fathom game designers’ conceptions of narrative in the analysis discussed in the chapter, reveal the theoretical background that dominates the designers’ thinking, and adduce the consequences of current narrative concept usage. Additionally, the chapter determines three levels of narrative phenomenon, in which narrative should be named and consistently defined within the computer game design discussion. Moreover, the chapter uncovers blind spots in the use of narrative-related concepts, whilst further, if possible, providing suggestions for improvements. Furthermore, the chapter proposes a composite model of narrative definition that should be extensive enough for game narrative design purposes. Additionally, a new concept (co-storyliner) for the discussion related to the player’s role in narrative computer game is proposed. Finally, the analysis results and conclusions, especially the proposed model of narrative definition, will be discussed from the viewpoint of the needs of narrative serious game design.