Whenever there is a talk about narrative design, it tends to end up being a laundry list of examples of how the environment can be used to communicate the backstory of the game world without cutscenes. This talk is different: rather than just focusing on the backstory, we are going to explore how environmental design creates opportunities for gameplay. The focus will be on leaving traces and indications in the space, both by the designers and the players. This is called “indexical storytelling,” because interpreting and engaging with these traces is the core of narrative gameplay. These traces are systematically classified depending on their type: they can turn the player into a detective, help create an identity, teach the player what to do (or not) and how, give a sense of progress or mess up with other players. Although there will be a couple of requisite mentions of Portal and Bioshock, some of the core examples come from games as diverse as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Myst, Super Mario 64, Metal Gear Solid, Demon’s Souls and Colossal Cave Adventure.
15. Peirce’s three types of
signs
Icon
Symbol
Index
The concept of indexical storytelling derives from Charles Peirce’s
philosophy of language. According to Peirce, a sign is a mediation, a
representation that conveys to a mind an idea about a thing. Thus the
nature of the sign involves the idea, the object that represents it (the
sign), and the interpretant who establishes the relationship between
the idea and the object. In Peircean philosophy, there are three types
of signs:
16. Peirce’s
three types
of signs
Icon
icons / likenesses: signs that convey ideas by imitating them, such as a
photograph, a drawing, gestures or onomatopoeias (words that imitate
the sound they refer to, such as crack or roar).
17. Peirce’s
three types
of signs
Symbol
-! symbols / general signs: signs that are associated with meaning
through usage; the relationship between the sign and its meaning is
arbitrary (Saussure, 1983) and part of a tacit social agreement. Most
words are symbols, the sign denoting biohazard is a symbol where the
association between the object and the idea it represents means is
purportedly arbitrary.
18. Peirce’s
three types
of signs
Index
-! indices / indications: the idea is physically connected with the
sign. Peirce provides a sign post as an example (the direction of the
signpost is where one should go).
21. Indices in
“[S]ome indices are more or less
detailed directions for what the
hearer is to do in order to place
himself in direct experiential or other
connection with the thing meant.”
Peirce, C. Essential Peirce: Selected Philosophical Writings. Vol. 2. Indiana University
Press, Bloomington, 1998.
29. History of the World
Detective work
What has happened in the
environment before?
How has it left a trace in the space?
How can the player read those traces
to reconstruct the events?
34. History of the World
What is the role of signposts in the
game?
Navigation
In-game directions
How does the tutorial integrate with
the story, if it points to the world of the
player?
39. History of the Player
How can the player leave traces in the
world of the game?
Who can read those traces?
Other players
NPCs
How does leaving traces create
opportunities for gameplay?
44. Takeaways
Indexical storytelling is using traces
and indications to construct a story.
Indices are not only a way to save in
cut-scenes, but also a way to
involve player in gameplay.
Designers can leave traces for the
player as indications, as well as
creating systems to let players leave
a trace.