Quips: Quick Tips for Game Narrative and Other Noodlings

Creating narrative for a video game has similar challenging, frustrating, and fun elements as those you encounter when putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Both tasks require critical thinking and the ability to see the big picture as well as the details.

Half the battle is learning how to evaluate each piece and determine where it belongs in the grand scheme of things. The following questions can help guide your narrative design toward stronger, more cohesive storytelling.

Read the whole article at Gamasutra.com.

We are Dani, Jen, Nellie, Pamela, and Angel; gamer chicas who love puzzle adventure games. Our playthroughs are a hoot.

Join us as we shoot the shit and explore the many awesome games available for those of us with busy lives and a taste for mysteries and good stories.

Who are we? We are all folks who love games so much that we work in the games industry.

Dani Roberge, Jen Page, Nellie Hughes, Pamela Wang, and Angel McCoy! Plus the occasional special guest!

Dani Roberge has over a decade of experience making games, and even more playing them. Coming mostly from a user interface design and art background, she tends to make (a lot of) comments about the usability of games. She believes that together, we can change the world…by shaming one bad UI at a time. When she’s not playing or making games, she’s probably out adventuring with her dog, criticizing real-world usability.

Jen Page is an actress and artist. She has worked for Wizards of the Coast and Games Omniverse. In addition, she’s had film roles in Dorkness Rising, Project London, and Revamping Doyle. Oh, and her cosplay is to die for! She stars in an amazing series of photographs in costume. Check out this video of the gorgeous gown she wore to the Ennies. She also has a Patreon for her fans. @TheJenPage on Twitter.

Nellie Hughes comes from over a decade of MMO design experience. Some of her favorite games include the Monkey Island, Bioshock, Fallout, and Kings Quest series. Her favorite things to do when she’s not working or nerding out on video games is to hang with her family traveling the world on a tight budget.

Pamela Wang is an artist & gamer. If you ever want to draw or paint with her, you can follow along with on YouTube at ArtistRage. And if you happen to want to game with her, follow her on Beam.

Angel McCoy is a writer for Remedy Entertainment, working on the mysterious game known as “P7”. She’s also creative director and narrative designer at her indie game company, Games Omniverse, working on a transmedia project in the Dire Multiverse. They are creating their first puzzle adventure game “Danika Dire”. @AngelMcCoy on Twitter

We are SO excited! Doing a monthly Twitch stream to try out a new game, discuss, share, and laugh. You’re more than welcome to join us.

We stream on our Twitch channel. Be sure to subscribe!

Follow us on Twitter: @notsosecretgc.

Streams are archived on our Youtube site.

The ladies get together with special guest Pamela Wang to play through DreamPath: Curse of the Swamps, a puzzle adventure game with glorious art and game design. Join us as we’re blown away by this beautiful and well-thought-out game.

Angel joins Gaile Gray to look at amazing art created by Guild Wars 2 fans!! So many amazing drawings, costuming, paintings, and objects. You have to check these out!

Angel wrote and coded this Twine interactive fiction piece just for fans at Wintersday, a Guild Wars 2 (GW2) holiday. Poor Drooburt is having the adventure of his life and nothing is going right.

Click here to play!

Artwork by the mega-talented artist Tirzah Bauer.

Drooburt was originally conceived by a GW2 narrative designer, the one and only Peter Fries.