Reading List
The following is a list of handy resources, articles, and games worth studying (and enjoying!) when taking your first dip into the waters of narrative design. This list is by no means comprehensive or complete, but simply a starting point for folks who are on the first steps of their journey.
Resources
Slay the Dragon! Writing Great Video Games
Authors: Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio
Website
An excellent introduction to writing game narratives. Slay the Dragon lays out the fundamentals of game narratives with clear easy to understand language and useful exercises.
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Do You Want To Write Video Games?
Author: David Gaider
Article
A candid (and lengthy) overview of what it can be like to work as a game writer, with some extra information on skills development and job hunting thrown in for good measure. It can be a bit of a bleak read, as David doesn’t pull many of his punches, but the information is important if you’re serious about navigating the game development pipeline as a writer.
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Screenwriting is Rewriting
Author: Jack Epps Jr.
Website
I keep a copy of this book on my desk wherever I’m working. Jack Epps Jr not only provides a comprehensive plan for script revisions, but encourages a framework that embraces rewriting as a natural and vital part of the writing process.
Games
80 Days
Developer: Inkle
Website | Trailer
A beautiful take on Around The World In 80 Days, developed using the Ink scripting language, and a brilliant example of branching and contracting narratives.
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Kentucky Route Zero
Developer: Cardboard Computer
Website | Trailer
A “magical realist adventure game about a secret highway running through the caves beneath Kentucky”, KR0 is a stunning exploration of agency and storytelling.
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The Wolf Among Us
Developer: Telltale Games
Website | Trailer
Based on Bill Willingham’s “Fables” comic book series, The Wolf Among Us is a critical example of the Telltale house style when the studio was at its peak.
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Journey
Developer: thatgamecompany
Website | Trailer
Journey is an important game that shows the power of interactive design and storytelling, without a single string of text displayed other than its title (and the credits) throughout the experience.