Short description:

This book provides readers with a vocabulary to articulate and build their games writing practice, whether studying games or coming to games from another storytelling discipline. It considers the material affordances of videogames, and the practical realities of working in game development processes.

Long description:

Focussing on the independent videogames sector, this book provides readers with a vocabulary to articulate and build their games writing practice; whether studying games or coming to games from another storytelling discipline. Writing for Games offers resources for communication, collaboration, reflection, and advocacy, inviting the reader to situate their practice in a centuries-long heritage of storytelling, as well as considering the material affordances of videogames, and the practical realities of working in game development processes.

Structured into three parts, Theory considers the craft of both games and writing from a theoretical perspective, covering vocabulary for both game and story practices. Case Studies uses three case studies to explore the theory explored in Part 1. The Practical Workbook offers a series of provocations, tools and exercises that give the reader the means to refine and develop their writing, not just for now, but as a part of a life-long practice.

Writing for Games: Theory and Practice is an approachable and entry-level text for anyone interested in the craft of writing for videogames.

Hannah Nicklin is an award-winning narrative and game designer, writer, and academic who has been practising for nearly 15 years. She works hard to create playful experiences that see people and make people feel seen, and also argues for making games a more radical space through mentoring, advocacy, and redefining process. Trained as a playwright, Nicklin moved into interactive practices early on in her career and is now the CEO and studio lead at Danish indie studio Die Gute Fabrik, which most recently launched Mutazione in 2019.

"Hannah Nicklin's Writing for Games is an essential manual for anyone working on games, whether they are story-driven or not. It is a comprehensive overview of the process of writing for games, and what it actually means in context, how it is integrated in the process of production, and how it relates to writing for other media. As an interdisciplinary text, it is the perfect bridge for writers from other media into games; at the same time, it also helps game designers and developers understand how writing connects games to other disciplines and guides the reader to how to draw inspiration from them. Even if the reader does not intend to be a writer, Writing for Games is a very accessible text to understand the work of writers and narrative designers, providing detailed strategies to incorporate games and stories successfully. The advice and lessons all come from practice and first-hand knowledge, which ensures that the learnings are relevant to day-to-day practices of game development. All told with a very personable and approachable tone - a joy to read."

Clara Fernandez-Vara, Associate Arts Professor, New York University.

Table of Contents:

Part I Theory. 1. Craft. 2. Vocabulary ? Games. 3. Vocabulary ? Story Structure. 4. Vocabulary ? Story Components. 5. Games Writing as a Discipline. 6. Form-led Design. 7. A Note on Writing Comedy. 8. Further Reading. 9. A Note on Ethics. Part II Case Studies. 10. Introduction to the Case Studies. 11. Character and Dialogue in Life is Strange 2. 12. Ethics and Adaptation in 80 Days. 13. Format and the Heist in Last Stop. Part III A Practical Handbook. 14. Introduction to the Workbook. 15. Tools for Starting. 16. Tools for Developing. 17. Tools for Finishing.