This document discusses the differences between writers and narrative designers in game development. It states that narrative designers are responsible for the overall narrative experience of the player, including how story elements are implemented through gameplay, while writers focus specifically on crafting the plot, characters, and dialogue. The document provides examples of narrative design from games like Detroit: Become Human and emphasizes that all developers contribute to the overarching narrative through their work, not just writers. It argues that narrative is about fulfilling the dreams sold to players rather than just telling a plot.

1. When story meets
design:
The meaningful difference between
a WRITER and NARRATIVE DESIGNER
Maria Borys-Piątkowska & Sławomir Uliasz
Flying Wild Hog
DEVGAMM, 2023

2. Hello!
Maria Borys-Piątkowska
Senior Narrative Designer
Writer
Translator
Spokeperson

3. In practice

4. Agenda
1. Devs selling dreams
2. Narrative vs Plot
3. What’s a writer?
4. What’s a narrative designer?
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography

5. The Dream Mongers
The game-dev industry is all
about selling dreams to those
who want to dream them - the
players.
❖ Players are dreamers
❖ The narrative is their dream
❖ Devs are the architects of their
dreams
❖ (Narrative) Designers are people
who conceptualize those dreams
and make them “happen”
❖ Writers are people who weave
those dreams into words.

6. Narrative vs Plot
“Narratio est rerum gestarum aut ut
gestarum expositio.”
“The narrative is an exposition of
events that have occurred or are
supposed to have occurred.”
Cicero, De inventione.
❖ Narrative Design
➢ The set of all items that are
parts of a story as well as the
rules and guidelines of how to
tell it.
❖ Plot
➢ The main events of a play,
novel, film, or similar work,
devised and presented by the
writer as an interrelated
sequence.

7. Separate
Specializations

8. Narrative Designer vs Writer (M. Malloney)
“Writer is responsible
for a character in the
story.”
“Narrative Designer is
responsible for a player
in that story.”
The Story

9. What is a writer?

10. What is a writer?
”The game writer I want to work
with wants to collaborate with the
team to create the best player
experience possible. He doesn’t
want the player to sit back and
enjoy what is handed to them.”
Richard Dansky, Ubisoft
Scope of responsibilities:
➢ They write the plot
➢ They write the dialogues and all
in-game texts
➢ They create character arcs
➢ They supervise the recordings
and the implementation of all
dialogue lines
➢ They create the localization doc

11. What does it mean in practice?
Detroit: Become Human

12. What is a narrative
designer?

13. You mean a
writer?

14. Separate
Specializations !

15. What is a narrative designer?
“A narrative designer must think in
action, first and foremost.”
Edwin McRae
Scope of responsibilities:
➢ They participate in the creation of the plot
➢ They co-create the narrative:
- branching, dialogue mechanics, enviro
storytelling, dialogue demands
➢ They supervise the implementation of the
narrative (not only dialogue) on all the
levels of the game
➢ Story as a tool – story experience
➢ “Translates” story into design

16. What does it mean in practice?
“Tiny Story”
„Narrative Designers work
with Story so that Play has
Meaning.”
Edwin McRae

17. A narrative designer is a fully-fledged
designer!

18. A narrative designer is a fully-fledged
designer!

19. The Story
coherent playable

20. Wrap-up
Gameplay: What is the player doing?
Story: Why is the player doing that?
Narrative Designer: Understanding player’s actions.
Writer: Understanding character’s actions.

21. Creating game content

22. Dreams small and big
Not every game needs a plot but
every game needs a narrative
design.
Even clicker games and tycoons
try to sell you a dream. You can
be the railroad tycoon in XIX
century or fruit ninja devoted to
cutting fruits in halves.

23. In big picture: every
dev is a narrative
designer.

24. Narrative is not (only) a
plot!

25. We all lift together
❖ Story
➢ Does the story stay true to the
promised dream?
❖ Design
➢ Does gameplay lets the player
experience the promised
fantasy?
❖ Audiovisuals
➢ Do audio and visuals lets the
player to fully immerse in the
promised dream?
Everyone in a team should
contribute to the Narrative
Design as it is a glue that binds
the game together.

26. We all lift together
❖ Game Designers
➢ Game systems, enemies,
weapons etc. should always be
coherent with the game
narrative
❖ Level Designers
➢ Levels provide players with
minute to minute experience of
the narrative
❖ Sound Engineers
➢ Music and SFX often better tell
stories than words
❖ Animators
➢ They tell the story through
cinematics and gameplay
movement
❖ Artists
➢ They create narrative through
environment and characters
alike
❖ Coders
➢ Make the game tick and let the
player interact with virtual
worlds

27. ➢ Evan Skolnick - “Video Game
Storytelling”
➢ Edwin McRae - “Narrative Design for
Indies”
➢ Christopher Booker - “7 Basic Plots”
➢ John Yorke - “Into the Woods”
➢ Tobias Heussner - “Game Narrative
Toolbox”

28. Thank you! :)
maria.piatkowska@flyingwildhog.com
@krolowa.marysienka.1
Merry#4677