The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope
100+ Essays on the Craft of Game Writing
THE GAME NARRATIVE KALEIDOSCOPE collates articles from over a hundred writers, in one 400-page book.
There are articles on every topic: branching narrative and linear storytelling; worldbuilding and mystery; dialogue writing and silence; surviving in large studios and how to start small.
With contributions from the writers behind some of the world's most successful titles - such as Prince of Persia, Control, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty and Baldur's Gate 3 - alongside indie and upcoming writers, this collection aims to capture the full breadth and complexity of this artistic medium.
Packed with practical advice, inspiration, deep truths and simmering disagreements, every turn of the Kaleidoscope reveals a new perspective. And at the bottom of each article, there are links to follow-up articles, extending on the existing theme - or arguing the opposite. There is no one right way to read this book, any more than there is a right way to write: it's there to be explored.
Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast
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Episode 10: Giles Armstrong
The 'Grenade!' Paradox: Writing Better Barks
We talk to Giles Armstrong (Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Helldivers II, and many other games) about the art and craft of writing barks that express character and world-building as richly as possible without overloading the script.
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Episode 9: Jill Murray
Perfectionists Hate This One Simple Trick
Jill Murray (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Subnautica: Below Zero, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation) talks about how she gets things finished. If you write for your ideal audience member, can you manifest them?
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Episode 8: Holly Nielsen
Cite Your Sources!
Historian and game writer Holly Nielsen (Amberspire, Neurocracy) joins us to discuss ambiguous worldbuilding and the use of biased and unreliable narrators in a game's historical sources.
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Episode 7: Ian Thomas
A Smorgasbord
Narrative expert Ian Thomas from The Chinese Room expands the boundaries of story design. What can computer RPGs learn from a live-action roleplaying game? And how do we encourage players to act the part?
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Episode 6: Kate Gray
Microbranching - Big Reactivity with Small Effort
Kate Gray (Moonstone Island, Hello Kitty Island Adventure) tells us about microbranching in dialogue: small decisions without long-term impacts.
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Episode 5: Stark Holborn
Swiss Cheese and Soda Cans: Writing for Proc-Gen Systems
Novelist and narrative designer Stark Holborn joins us to talk about the procedural generation systems of Shadows of Doubt. How do you ensure a generated world has character and style?
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Episode 4: Josh Scherr
Call Me by Your Name
Ex-Naughty Dog narrative designer Josh Scherr joins us to discuss the best ways to employ reactive dialogue, for drama and reflection.
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Episode 3: Mary Kenney
How to Love the Player Who Hates You - Creating after (or during) Gamergate
Mary Kenney, narrative director and senior writer (Marvel: Wolverine, Spiderman: Miles Morales), talks about recovering from online harrasment, and why stories matter.
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Episode 2: Darby McDevitt
Flawless Victory (and how to avoid it)
Black Flag’s lead writer, Darby McDevitt, joins us to discuss character arcs in linear action adventure games.
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Episode 1: Sagar Beroshi
The Keyboard Is Not an Omnitool
We’re writers. We can solve every problem with a stroke of a pen - can’t we?
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Episode 0: Welcome to the Kaleidoscope!
Meet the hosts, and hear our plans for the series!
Who we are, what we'll cover, and what we hope to find out!