Introduction to Narrative Design

Semester(s) Offered: Fall / Spring

Credits: 4

Course Call Number: GAMES-UT 161

Prerequisite(s): Introduction to Game Development & Introduction to Game Design

Taught By: Naomi Clark / Clara Fernández-Vara

Introduction to Narrative Design is an advanced game design course where students learn a variety of strategies to bring together game design and storytelling, both in table-top and digital games. Every assignment covers a different challenge when it comes to integrating systems design with storytelling. Students will also learn some of the basics of storytelling, such as character development, dramatic action, generating conflict, and world building.

Upon completion of this course, the student will:
1) Understand the challenges of narrative design.
2) Create narrative games based on a pre-existing fictional worlds, where the narrative provides the foundation for the mechanics.
3) Generate conflict that is engaging both at a dramatic and gameplay level.
4) Work in groups and learn how to create and keep track of a shared vision of a game world and its stories.
5) Learn to critique storytelling alongside systems design.
6) Become aware of what can make a narrative game more complex, and how to keep it under scope.