About the word “statistical”
This article’s title mentions statistics, but it contains no numbers about how many games have stories, how many players care about narrative, or how story affects sales. No such figures are available here, and made-up ones would be misleading. The article explains the main narrative techniques games use, what makes them different from books and films, and how to think about claims on the subject.
What makes game stories different
A novel or film controls the order and pace of events. A game hands part of that control to the player. People choose where to go, what to try and how quickly to move, and they may fail and repeat sections. A story told this way has to cope with uncertainty about what the player will do or see.
That creates both opportunities and difficulties. The player is a participant rather than an observer, which can make events feel personal. But the writer cannot be sure a given scene will be witnessed, or in what order, so designers rely on specific techniques.
Cutscenes
Cutscenes are scripted sequences, usually with fixed camera work, in which the player watches rather than plays. They resemble film scenes and are a straightforward way to deliver dialogue, reveal characters or show events the player could not take part in.
They have drawbacks. Taking control away can interrupt the flow, and players who want to get on with playing may skip them. Designers address this in several ways: shorter scenes, letting players skip or pause, or keeping some control during talking scenes, such as moving the camera. Game subtitles and captions matter here too, because dialogue carries so much of the plot for those who cannot hear it.
Branching choices
In branching stories, player decisions change what happens. A conversation might offer several replies, and a major event might unfold differently depending on earlier choices.
The idea is appealing, but it is costly. Every branch is extra writing, art and testing. For that reason many games use limited forms of branching.
- Branches that rejoin. Paths diverge briefly and then merge back into one main line, so choices affect tone, relationships or small details rather than the entire plot.
- Delayed consequences. A choice matters later, which makes it feel weighty without requiring a completely separate story.
- Multiple endings. Different final scenes reflect the player’s path, sometimes through a handful of tracked variables.
- Illusion of choice. Sometimes the outcome is the same whatever the player picks, but the response differs, so the player feels heard. Whether this is a flaw or a clever tool is a matter of taste.
Designers often keep track of what a player has done using flags, essentially simple records such as “helped this character” or “took the left path,” which later scenes check. The earliest text adventures already used a version of this idea: a parser reading typed commands and a record of what the player had done.
Environmental storytelling
Not everything in a game is told through speech or scripted scenes. Places themselves can carry narrative. A table laid for a meal that was never eaten, a barricaded door, or signs of a hurried departure invite players to work out what happened.
This works well for games because players explore at their own pace and can notice or ignore details. It asks nothing of the player beyond looking, and it respects the fact that different people will notice different things.
Related tools include:
- Found documents. Letters, notes, emails and recordings scattered around the world give background to anyone who wants it.
- Visual design. Architecture, damage and decoration suggest history and culture.
- Sound. Distant voices, music from an old radio and ambience carry mood. The craft of sound design has a large part in this.
- Level layout. The way a space is arranged can pace a story, for instance by leading the player through a ruin in an order that reveals events gradually.
Emergent and player-made stories
Some of the most memorable tales in games are not written in advance. They arise from rules and systems interacting: a plan that goes wrong in a funny way, a rivalry between players, an unlikely escape. Designers sometimes build systems that encourage these moments. Procedural generation, where parts of the world or events are created by rules rather than hand-built, can produce situations a writer never planned.
Players also create their own narratives through role-playing, stories shared in communities, and user-generated content. These are valuable but different from an authored story with a deliberate arc.
Pacing, structure and the problem of play
Game writers must balance story against play. Long talking scenes can frustrate someone who wants to act. Constant action can leave a plot thin. Designers handle this by alternating the two, delivering information during movement, such as through dialogue while walking, or making the story optional for those who prefer to skip it.
Practical systems matter, too. Where save checkpoints fall affects how a dramatic scene feels if it must be replayed. Planning documents, such as a design document, often include story outlines that coordinate writers, designers and artists. Large open worlds face a particular challenge: letting players roam freely while still telling a coherent story.
Reading claims about stories in games
Statements like “players want deeper stories” or “narrative increases engagement” are difficult to test.
- What counts as story? Plot, characters, setting and mood are different things.
- Who was asked? Players of narrative games hold different views from players of competitive ones.
- Stated versus actual behaviour. People may say they value a story and still skip cutscenes, or the reverse.
- Separating cause. A game with a strong story usually also has strong art, music and design, so crediting any one element is difficult.
- Different goals. A puzzle game, a shooter and an interactive drama use story for very different ends, so general conclusions have limited meaning.
A careful position is that stories are an important part of many games, that they are told by a varied set of techniques, and that how much they matter depends on the game and the player.