Narrative Structures in Computer and Video Games: Part 1: Context, Definitions, and Initial Findings

Abstract

This essay is the first of a two-part article examining the use of narrative in computer and video games, which provides an overview and discussion of the definitions and representation of stories, plots, and narratives. A range of traditional and emerging narrative techniques are considered, including The Hero’s Journey, three-act structure, the portrayal of human emotions, and character archetypes, from where an in-depth examination of interactive narrative is performed on a range of old and modern games. Initial results pertaining to the time allocated to narrative, the use of back stories, cut scenes, on-screen text, prompts, and game structure are also presented, which reveal a distinct level of uniformity of how interactive narrative is depicted in games spanning over two decades of industry development. The analysis is concluded in the second article, where further results are revealed to help uncover the precise nature of game narratives.