Narrative Design for Mobile and Live Games

By: Valentina Tamer

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Synopsis: This is a comprehensive guidebook for long-term storytelling in mobile games and games-as-a-service (also known as live games). This book formalizes creative techniques of game writing and narrative design for a platform (and revenue model) that has shown drastic growth and changes over the past few years. The unique challenges of mobile games and live games are also increasingly relevant across the whole games industry. With hybrid consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, cloud gaming, and cross-platform titles, the lines between mobile and console have begun to blur. Additionally, many games now offer live support to extend player engagement. This book starts with an introduction to narrative design and the world of mobile games, followed by a deep dive into open-ended and seasonal storytelling. Besides the creative aspect of development, it covers areas of production such as documentation, collaboration, and monetization. To illustrate its solutions, it uses examples from video games and other media, specifically screenwriting for TV shows. This book will be of great interest to all game narrative and writing professionals working on mobile and live games.