Erin Hoffman - The Game of Story - LOGIN Conference 2012 - 9/26/2012

1. The Game of Story
Erin Hoffman

2. wtf is Story?

3. how story works

4. bona fides
publishing dystopia, let me show you it

5. my approach is weird

6. i might be a ludological
writer
this might be a new thing
(that would be kind of cool)

7. ludology vs. narratology
(oh god where’s the exit?)

8. all you really need to know
narratology ludology
story > game game != story

9. i’m saying
thinking
story game

10. (corvus says)
play
story game

11. expectation

12. reversal

13. narrative techniques
• foreshadowing • aphorism
• point of view • homophone
• metaphor • slice of life
• metonymy • reveal
• personification • imagery
• fable • digression
• allusion • etc etc etc...

14. narrative techniques
• foreshadowing • aphorism
• point of view • homophone
• metaphor • slice of life
• metonymy • reveal
• personification • imagery
• fable • digression
• allusion • etc etc etc...
(for non-linear applications)

15. one critical characterization
concept
what the
game needs
versus what the
game (and the
team) wants

16. out of the book

17. out of the
book
the three-year-old
and the six-year-
old
the inventive self and the rules-lawyer
coexist in games

18. “you get a
peek at
something
infinite”

19. story as motivation
• "The idea was to have
secrets, mysteries and
tales of the people and
apocalyptic environment
that you run through," Hon
explains. "In short, we
wanted to create a world
filled with stories and
characters that make you
want to run. It’s not a
crude and empty system
of points and levels, it’s a
game that’s about what
it means to be alive."

20. foreshadowing symbolism
dreamin
reversal thinking metaphor
g
color theory
expectation
dance art painting
cinema
storytellin
music g
game

21. thanks for playing :)
www.erinhoffman.com

22. Questions?
Erin Hoffman
@gryphoness
erin@philomathgames.com