Teun Dubbelman

Avans University of Applied Sciences

What do stories in games have in common with political narratives? This book identifies narrative strategies as mechanisms for meaning and manipulation in games and real life. It shows that the narrative mechanics so clearly identifiable in games are increasingly used (and abused) in politics and social life. They have »many faces«, displays and in...

In recent years, games with a focus on narrative have been a growing area. However, so far, interactive narrative aspects have not been the focus of video game education (with the noted exception of a small number of programs in game writing), which indicates that many narrative designers are self-trained. The insular status means that many designe...

First, the article will discuss the notion of narrative game mechanics, and its theoretical groundings. Second, it will showcase the Narrative Design Canvas as a practical instrument for teaching narrative design. This canvas can be used by students to analyze and design narrative games. It helps them to recognize and establish a connection bet...

What do stories in games have in common with political narratives? This book identifies narrative strategies as mechanisms for meaning and manipulation in games and real life. It shows that the narrative mechanics so clearly identifiable in games are increasingly used (and abused) in politics and social life. They have »many faces«, displays and in...

Using a step-by-step approach, the narrative design canvas helps you to: • Turn a basic idea into a detailed concept • Create a concept that integrates narrative context, player interaction and player experience • Map and discuss the internal consistency of the concept. How to use the canvas? Step 1: Write down your initial idea on top of the ca...

Where do computer games »happen«? The articles collected in this pioneering volume explore the categories of »space«, »place« and »territory« featuring in most general theories of space to lay the groundwork for the study of spatiality in games. Shifting the focus away from earlier debates on, e.g., the narrative nature of games, this collection pr...

In recent years, interactive narrative design has become the main activity of a diverse group professionals working in video games, agencies, museums, at broadcasters, and online newspapers. At the same time, there has been no degree program in interactive narrative design, which indicates that many narrative designers are self-trained. By starting...

Ludonarrative aspects have not been the focus of video game studies. During the foundational phase of the discipline, the focus was placed on game mechanics and on understanding what distinguishes games from earlier forms like the movie or the novel. In recent years, however, the growing field of narrative-focused games (e.g. Dear Esther (The Chine...

While there have been many discussions about the purpose of game studies programs over the years (e.g., the GDC games Educator summit, the teaching game studies workshops at past DIGRA conferences1 ), relatively few of those discussions resulted in publications on concrete pedagogical strategies. In fact, despite the broadly shared aim of educatin...

This paper shares the results of an interactive digital narrative (IDN) project, conducted at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht. We consider the potential of ‘IDN for change’, before we describe the project, the underlying design approach and the educational approaches. A particularfocus of this paper is on pedagogical considerations. We describe...

During the last three decades, many successful interactive narrative projects have been realized, including many games. However, the respective design knowledge mostly rests with individual designers, who are self-trained and use private, inaccessible vocabulary. This state of affairs is an obstacle to further development and a considerable challen...

In recent years, game narrative has emerged as an area for novel game concepts and as a strategy to distinguish a particular title. However, innovation in this area comes primarily from indie companies and individual efforts by noted designers. There is a lack of trained specialists ready to produce interactive narrative experiences. Many existing...

In this paper, we describe narrative game design as an area for empirical research and aim to promote additional work in this area. The focus of our paper is therefore on the process. We start by discussing the relationship between the design of the narrative aspects of video games vs. non-narrative aspects, as well as in comparison to earlier narr...

This paper reports on an aspect of a long-term project to create a body of evidence-based interactive narrative design methods. In this context, we discuss aspects of formal design descriptions as a basis for a quantitative approach to verify the effects of design choices on the experience of audiences. Specifically, we discuss the notion of ‘desig...

This paper aims to expand existing knowledge on narrative game design. Specifically, the paper discusses the importance of game design patterns for the analysis of narrative game mechanics. By bringing together insights from cognitive narratology and game design theory, the paper creates a preliminary theoretical perspective for deconstructing the...

This paper explores the notion of narrative game mechanics by apposing theories from the field of cognitive narratology with design theories on game mechanics. The paper aims to disclose how narrative game mechanics invite game agents, including the player, to perform actions that support the construction of engaging stories and fictional worlds in...

This paper outlines a roadmap for interactive narrative research that integrates disparate parts while focusing on identifying and experimentally veri‐ fying IDN design conventions and on developing a pedagogy to further the devel‐ opment of a professional discipline of IDN creators. This effort connects several key areas, in which the authors have...

Narrative game designer, or simply narrative designer, is a role in contemporary computer game development. The narrative designer is responsible for designing the player’s experience of a game’s fictional world. This study delves into the practice of narrative design from the perspective of embodied presence. In comparison with books, movies and o...

This paper explores the logics behind two primary ways in which computer games deal with stories. As evident in how these games are designed, one of these logics focuses on players as implied authors who guide heroes through challenging trials and tribulations. The other logic focuses on players as embodied participants who become the hero and expe...

A theoretical investigation into the narrative logic of contemporary computer games A theoretical investigation into the narrative logic of contemporary computer games This paper explores the logics behind two primary ways in which computer games deal with stories. As evident in how these games are designed, one of these logics focuses on players a...

Drawing on theories from game-, film-, and theatre studies, this paper explores two primary ways in which 3D computer games deal with stories. As evident in how these games are creatively designed and publically discussed, one of these approaches focuses on players as implied authors who guide heroes through challenging trials and tribulations. The...

Drawing on theories from game-, film-, and theatre studies, this paper explores two primary ways in which 3D computer games deal with stories. As evident in how these games are creatively designed and publically discussed, one of these approaches focuses on players as implied authors who guide heroes through challenging trials and tribulations. The...

This article explores an alternative understanding of storytelling, which has risen with the emergence of new forms of narrative media, particularly with the medium of computer games. I explicate the distinctive logic behind this novel understanding and investigate how this logic differs from prior conceptualizations of narrative. In the past decad...