About this course: In this course, you will examine how storytelling acts as a vital mechanism for driving video gameplay forward. Looking at several historical and contemporary games, you will be asked to evaluate and interpret different story styles with the goal of identifying themes and procedures for your own game ideas. We'll examine traditional narrative story processes, such as three-act structure, and how they fit into game story flows and the strategic elements of gameplay. Ultimately, you will learn how to define character, setting, and structure to create a compelling game concept.
Created by: California Institute of the Arts
Taught by: Dariush Derakhshani, Faculty, Character Animation
School of Film/Video
| Basic Info | Course 2 of 5 in the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization |
| Language | English, Subtitles: Chinese (Simplified) |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Week 1: An Introduction to Story
For the first week of the class, we will be analyzing the components of three-act structure using a classic fairytale as an example. We'll examine the characters in the story by figuring out their goals and the main conflict that creates a rising arc of action to keep the audience interested.
6 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Welcome
- Reading: About this Course
- Reading: Getting Started
- Video: What makes a story compelling?
- Video: How games benefit from stories
- Video: How to see a game as a story first
- Reading: Story Synopsis: Sleeping Beauty
- Video: Defining the Spine
- Video: Three-Act Structure and Rising Action
Graded: Breaking Down the Story
WEEK 2
Week 2: Game Story Structure
In this week, we will draw a parallel between last week’s discussion on rising action and how that relates to gameplay. Looking at a pair of contemporary games, we'll learn how to identify story structure and themes of rising action, just like we would with traditional stories and movies. Lastly, we’ll evaluate the role that primary and secondary characters come to play in the unveiling of a game’s story and discuss the importance of understanding how these games present their stories in the actual gameplay.
4 videos, 12 readings
- Reading: Story Synopsis: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
- Video: Writing Your Own Story Synopsis
- Reading: Story Synopsis Points
- Reading: Story Synopsis: Angry Birds
- Video: Defining Characters and Character Goals
- Video: Using Secondary Characters
- Video: Writing a Character Brief
- Reading: About Character Briefs
- Reading: Character Brief: Jim Raynor
- Reading: Character Brief: Emperor Mengsk
- Reading: Character Brief: Tychus Findlay
- Reading: About Setting Descriptions
- Reading: Setting Description: Angry Birds
- Reading: Setting Description: Mar Sara
- Reading: Setting Description: The Hyperion
- Reading: Setting Description: Char
Graded: Character Studies
WEEK 3
Week 3: Story Workshop
This week, we explore ideation techniques and learn how to consolidate our ideas into more formalized stories specifically for pushing them towards a game design. We will take a look at the importance of, and ways to refine, characters and settings as we develop an initial concept in story form first, and then next week, into a game.
4 videos, 8 readings
- Video: Story Ideation Techniques
- Video: Personal Writing Advice
- Reading: About Idea Sheets
- Reading: Idea Sheet: Dead-Eye Jane
- Reading: Idea Sheet: Settings for The Shooter
- Video: Refining the Spine
- Video: Connecting Ideas and Characters
- Reading: Review: Story Synopses
- Reading: Story Synopsis: The Shooter
- Reading: Review: Character Briefs
- Reading: Character Brief: Jake
- Reading: Character Brief: Dead-Eye Jane
Graded: Rewriting “The Shooter”
WEEK 4
Week 4: From Story to Game
For this last week of class, we will begin by seeing what a game design document is, and evaluate a few different templates you can use. Then, we will take the story we built in last week’s course, The Shooter, and define it as a playable game outlined in a game design document.
5 videos, 6 readings
- Video: Introduction to a Game Design Document
- Video: Diving Deeper into the Design Document
- Reading: About Story Presentation Schemes
- Reading: Presentation Scheme: Part One - StarCraft II Gameplay Overview
- Reading: Presentation Scheme: Part Two - StarCraft II Missions
- Reading: What is a Gameplay Flowchart?
- Reading: Gameplay Flowchart: StarCraft II
- Video: Turning The Shooter's Story into a Game
- Video: The Shooter's Rising Gameplay
- Video: Course Wrap Up
- Reading: Course Credits
Graded: Finalizing “The Shooter”
FAQs
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Coursework
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Creators
California Institute of the Arts
CalArts has earned an international reputation as the leading college of the visual and performing arts in the United States. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Great course for expanding your writing skills in relation to storytelling in games.
Very good course. All videos are good and examples are excelent written. 5 stars
At the end of the course I'm happy with it. I learnt about structure of stories and how they can be implemented in games, how to help people connect emotionally with a story and characters. I think the beginning was a little weak. I didn't like any of the example stories and I know there are a lot of great stories out there.
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S
Good course on story writing for games