Story & Narrative Development Studio for Games
This course examines how storytelling plays a vital role in driving video gameplay. Looking at historical and contemporary games, students will evaluate and interpret different story styles with the goal of identifying themes and procedures for their own game ideas. The course explores traditional narrative story processes, nonlinear narratives, alternative and experimental gaming narrative structures, as well worldbuilding for games.
Students will also prototype their narratives in engine to explore interactivity and its impacts on story. Issues of representation, diversity, and inclusion in contemporary gaming culture will be discussed. Students will define characters, settings, and structures to create a compelling game design document. Studio work will be supported by lectures and critiques.
This course is offered in partnership with OCAD University to offer a wide range of courses for enhancing your career expertise in web, design, photography, analytics, and technology.
Working with Your OCAD U account
As a student, you will receive an OCAD U user account, which will grant you access to the OCAD U learning management system, called Canvas. Your Canvas account will be enabled one week prior to the start date of your course.
Contact continuingstudies@ocadu.ca for assistance with using your account.
Certificate options
Many OCAD U courses can be applied towards a certificate. Explore to learn more.
Students seeking a certificate must register with OCAD U via the APPLY link on the page for the certificate concerned.
Contact cstudies@unbc.ca for questions concerning certificates available or to confirm your chosen set of courses will qualify.
Learning Outcomes
- Develop a compelling and original game narrative
- Analyze the components of traditional and experimental game narratives
- Work with game story structures, exploring rising action, and how this relates to gameplay
- Consolidate concepts into formalized story structures
- Learn the importance of representation, diversity, and inclusion in contemporary game design
- Work with tools to prototype interactive and branching narratives such as Twine
Course Requirements
Regular access to a computer with a webcam and microphone, high-speed broadband internet connection, and a digital camera or smartphone and is required.
Course Cancellations
Please note that courses may be canceled at any time due to low enrolment. Upon cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund.