Learn the essentials of writing for video games, from how games are developed and what game writers do, to the ways game stories differ from other kinds of stories. Writing for video games is truly a new frontier, a place where writers and game designers are still learning, innovating and pioneering bold approaches to telling stories.
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This course is your introduction to this frontier. We'll explore interactive storytelling as well as touch on the history of video games and the kinds of games that have been developed since the medium was born.
We'll discuss the complex, collaborative process of game development and hear from working game writers about their jobs in the game industry. Then we'll dig into the way game narratives are built, where they come from, and how they are changing.
Verified learners will access additional game industry interviews, assignments and discussion topics, connecting with a community of other writers and game enthusiasts.
What you'll learn
- Understand how interactivity makes games distinct from other art forms.
- Explore the history of story in video games
- Identify the essential parts of a video game and how these are used to deliver narrative
- Consider story-driven gameplay from the writer’s point of view
This course is part of the Writing for Video Games Professional Certificate
Syllabus
Module 1: Introduction to Game Writing
Interactive storytelling
Understanding the medium
Parts of a game
Different kinds of games
Module 2: Game Development
Inception
Role of the writer
Development
Module 3: Building a Game Story
Laying a foundation
Building a structure
Shaping the experience
Embracing interactivity
Module 4: Original vs Established I.P.
- Licensed games
- Adapting an I.P.
- Original I.P.
Module 5: Game Design Documents
- The game design document
- The narrative design document
