Sketchnotes: Game Design as Narrative Architecture

Here are my sketchnotes of the “Game Design as Narrative Architecture” reading.

As for a game I like from each category:

1. Spatial Stories: The Legend of Zelda (NES)
   This is a game which truly lets the player enter into a world without the constraints of an overbearing plot dictating your every move. It’s a game not about the character on screen but rather your own adventure through the world.
2. Enacting Stories: Ninja Gaiden (NES)
   I should be clear, the story of Ninja Gaiden is awful, I just happen to like its gameplay. Ninja Gaiden shows exactly how this type of structure, when done wrong, can create dissonance between narrative and gameplay, with a plot told through cut-scenes which seems to have little baring on what I’m doing when I’m holding the controller.
3. Embedded Narratives: The Stanley Parable
   On top of being hilarious, the Stanley Parable is absolutely brimming with comedy hidden in every nook and cranny of its levels. If you haven’t already, I’d recommend checking out the GDC talk done by one of the game’s developers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLbmZT70rtA
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
   My latest obsession, Animal Crossing features tons of mechanics designed to elicit emergent narratives. A player’s village and villagers will wind up feeling like a unique part of their experience.