#interactive storytelling
With enemies closing in on all sides, you and Miguel must make a decision that could change everything.
When Nicky is done reading his newspaper, he likes to take a moment of his morning to do the word jumble. But this one seems to be about him…? How many Two Against The World related words can you find?
Sergio has been called to go back into the office - no more WFH attire for him . Personally, we think he looks rather dashing without his pants - what do you think?
Sit down at the diner counter for a minute and do this word scramble with Miguel ♥️
By popular vote, here is your cast for Ghosted! Let us know if you agree with the rest of the community.
Photo credits: IMPACT ARTISTS GROUP, Getty Images, Ted Ely.
Solving your boyfriend’s murder can be exhausting… So take a break and help Jesse solve this word jumble instead!
Head over to @fictifgames on twitter, talk with us about Miguel, and maybe you’ll be lucky and win stars for the app!
If you aren’t familiar with Nicky yet, take a look at this post… and then go hang out with him in our story, “Two Against The World”!
Happy birthday to our favorite ghost boy!
Solving your boyfriend’s murder can be exhausting… So take a break and help Jesse solve this word jumble instead!
It’s been a close call for our hero, only just winning the vote by 1%, but here are the results for who you would like to cast as the real life cast of Two Against the World!
Photo credit left to right: EVAN AGOSTINI, Riker Brothers, Getty
Join us in wishing Howie the very best of birthdays!
Floyd Capo is one crime family boss you don’t want to cross! What would you do if you met him in a dark alley?
Poe doesn’t just read books - he also enjoys word scrambles. But this one seems eerily related to him and his friends…?
Have you read Two Against the World yet? If not, now is the perfect time to meet Nicky and discover where a trip to the theater will take you! If you have, why not see what happens if you make different choices!
Need a ride? Next week’s book club is all about Miguel, and participants can win stars for the Fictif app! Make sure to follow our twitter, @fictifgames, so you don’t miss it!
InDesigning Games: a Guide to Engineering Experience, Tynan Sylvester describes his 3 objectives, when he’s trying to immerse an audience into a video game. Here is my attempt to paraphrase them:
✅Design your game around an activity that engrosses the audience. Once they get caught up in the flow, they’ll forget their everyday concerns & and focus only on the game. This is a good place to show off for the audience, since they’re paying close attention!
✅ Design the activity to get the audience pumped. Use the game to stimulate their emotions. Get them excited! Scare them! Flatter them! Pique their curiosity! Piss ‘em off, until they’re ready to fight back! Whatever’s right for your game. It’ll get the audience loosened up!
✅ Use the game’s “fiction layer” to help the audience process the experience they’re having. Treat them as if they are characters in a story, and they may start to play the part!
Why are random encounters always, “HEY DO YOU WANT A MINI-GAME ABOUT FIGHTING???????”
I want to be a handyman, in a poorly constructed factory, who has to fix random explosions! And who saves the exploited workers from getting squished!
I want to be a healer, who gains power by healing! So I wander the land, in search of wounded people! Getting buff, by kissing the boo-boo’s away!
I want to be a raccoon, who’s hiding in a country club, biding his time for the next big meal!
WE DON’T ALWAYS NEED PUNCHING IN EVERYTHING
PUNCHLESS STUFF CAN BE GOOD
An essential part of interactive storytelling is giving the audience an activity.
You can prompt them to do anything! Geek out about their favorite show! Go shopping! Shoot an alien! Cook a meal! Train for a marathon! Search for a secret door!
So that’s how I like to start: by selecting an enjoyable activity. Then, I (try to) reverse-engineer the experience for the audience!
In other words: I design the story, in a way that rewards the audience for enjoying the activity.
For example, let’s say I want my toddler to enjoy splashing in the pool. Suddenly, my hands are sea-monsters, who can only be defeated by bopping them on the head! It’s watery whack-a-mole!
“An activity for the audience, which forms the basis of an Experiential Storyline.” That’s an important concept. We need a term for it.
Maybe it’s a “Play-Along Activity?” That’s the best I can come up with, at the moment. I am very tired.
Anyway, I think Design Doc’s video provides some good examples of how to design a reassuring Play-Along Activity.
