The Evolution of Storytelling: How Games Are Rewriting the Rules of Narrative
Text: Maxim Zhestkov
Concept art: Cosmos Interactive
We are witnessing a seismic shift in the media landscape that is altering the way we experience stories. From the primordial tradition of oral storytelling to the passive consumption of visual narratives on screens, we have now entered an era of action. Video games and interactive technologies are not merely introducing new forms of entertainment; they are forming a new language, a powerful tool that is redefining the very essence of how we convey experiences and emotions. This article explores the intricacies of this transition and its implications, drawing from personal experiences in the field.
From narration to action: the new media paradigm
The evolution of media has followed a fascinating trajectory: from narration (spoken stories) to showing (cinema), and now to action (games and interactive experiences). This progression signifies a fundamental shift in how we perceive and engage with stories.In traditional linear forms of storytelling, such as literature or film, the audience experiences narratives through a process of empathetic connection with characters. We have relied on our innate capacity for empathy to vicariously experience the joys, sorrows, and fears of fictional characters, extracting valuable life lessons through observation. This model has served us well for millennia, allowing us to learn from the experiences of others without directly facing the associated risks.
However, games have disrupted this long-standing formula in a profound way. By introducing interactivity, they have transformed the role of the audience from passive observers to active participants.
In this new paradigm, it is no longer just the character experiencing emotions — we ourselves are immersed in the narrative. We don’t merely watch the story unfold from the sidelines; we become an integral part of it, shaping its course through our actions and decisions.
This shift fundamentally alters the focus of media: it no longer simply “speaks” to us, but actively “engages” us. Our hands, our choices, and our actions become the key to understanding the setting, the world, and the unfolding events. This level of involvement creates a depth of immersion and emotional connection that was previously unattainable in traditional media forms.
Action as immersion into the story
David Lynch once said, “If I could tell a story in words, I wouldn’t need to make a film.” This profound statement encapsulates the essence of interactive media, particularly video games. In this new medium, stories aren’t merely told or shown — they are experienced, felt and lived.
A poignant example of this can be found in the game Inside. There’s a moment in the game where the player must extract a worm from a pig’s body. On the surface, this might seem like a trivial or even grotesque action. However, this single, interactive moment conveys more about the game’s setting, atmosphere, and underlying themes than pages of text ever could. It’s through this direct, tactile involvement that the player gains a visceral understanding of the game’s world.
This approach to storytelling, while incredibly powerful, presents enormous challenges for creators. Crafting narratives that are told through actions is exponentially more complex than writing traditional linear stories.
It requires a delicate balance and synchronization between various elements — gameplay mechanics, visual design, sound and narrative progression. This isn’t a script that can be written in isolation; it’s a new form of collaborative creation where every decision, from the smallest gameplay mechanic to the broadest story arc, impacts the final product.
The power of this approach lies in its ability to engage players on a deeper, more primal level. By making the player an active participant in the story, games can evoke emotions and create memories that are far more vivid and lasting than those generated by passive media.
The new scriptwriter
In my experience as a director in this evolving medium, it has become abundantly clear that the traditional concept of a script is rapidly becoming obsolete in the realm of interactive storytelling. The role of the game scriptwriter has transformed dramatically — they are not only wordsmiths crafting dialogue and descriptions on paper. Instead, they have become integral participants in a highly integrated and complex creative process.
In our team, we’ve developed a unique symbiosis between the game designer, narrative designer and myself as the director/creative director. This collaborative approach is essential because the creation of an interactive narrative is not a linear process. We work in parallel to develop the world, its history, environment, progression and the actions available to the player. Each team member brings a crucial perspective to the table:
- The art director shapes the visual language of the game world, creating an environment that silently tells its own story.
- The game designer develops interaction mechanics that not only make the game enjoyable to play but also serve as vehicles for storytelling.
- The level designer creates spatial narratives, using the layout and progression of game environments to convey information and evoke emotions.
All of these elements are inextricably linked, turning the process of game creation into an intricate balancing act. The game scriptwriter, in this context, becomes a sort of conductor or juggler, coordinating multiple ideas, methods, and creative inputs to create a cohesive, immersive experience of an interactive story.
Unlike in traditional media, where the story can often be separated from its mode of delivery, in games, the two are inseparable. The story is not just told through cutscenes or dialogue, but through every action the player takes, every choice they make, and every consequence they face.
Conveying emotions and ideas through non-verbal means
At the heart of all these creative efforts lies a simple yet profound goal: to evoke genuine emotions. The virtual worlds we create serve as vessels to transport players into new realities, allowing them to feel and experience things beyond their everyday lives.
A key realization in my work has been understanding that interactive media connects with the most primitive and fundamental levels of human cognition. In our pre-linguistic past, humans primarily understood the world through actions and consequences rather than words.
Games, in a sense, return us to this primal mode of learning and understanding, but with the added complexity and richness of modern narrative techniques.
By bypassing verbal constructs and directly engaging players through action, games can communicate ideas and emotions in ways that other media cannot. This is what makes interactive storytelling so challenging, yet so magical. We’re not just asking players to watch or listen to a story— we’re asking them to live it, to make it their own through their choices and actions.
This approach to storytelling has the potential to create experiences that are not only entertaining but also deeply meaningful and potentially transformative. By immersing players in carefully crafted worlds and scenarios, games can provide safe spaces for exploring complex ideas, emotions, and ethical dilemmas.
Game as a universal medium
As we look to the future of interactive media, the possibilities are both exciting and boundless. I envision games evolving into a tool for complete immersion, where every element — from the environment to the mechanics, from the visual design to the sound — works in harmony to create a deeply emotional and personalized experience.
The rapid advancement of technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in game design. Imagine a world that dynamically responds to player actions, where the scenario and environment adapt in real-time to the player’s choices, creating a truly unique experience for each individual.
This level of personalization and responsiveness could revolutionize not just entertainment, but education, therapy, and even social interaction. Games could become powerful tools for teaching empathy, exploring complex social issues, or providing safe spaces for personal growth and healing.
Moreover, the skills and perspectives gained through interactive storytelling are increasingly relevant in our rapidly changing world. The ability to navigate complex systems, make decisions with incomplete information, and understand the consequences of our actions are all skills that games naturally foster. In this future, the line between ‘games’ and other forms of media may blur significantly. We may see the emergence of new hybrid forms of interactive storytelling that combine elements of games, film, literature, and even live performance. These new forms could offer unprecedented levels of immersion and emotional engagement, pushing the boundaries of what we currently consider possible in storytelling.
Conclusion: the magic of a new language
As we stand on the brink of this new era in media, it’s clear that games represent far more than just a new form of entertainment. They are, in essence, a new language — a revolutionary means of communication where action becomes more important as words.
This new language is still in its infancy. We are only beginning to understand its grammar and syntax, its potential and its limitations. As creators in this field, we have a responsibility to push beyond the stereotypes and conventions of the past, to seek out new expressive means and to explore the full potential of this interactive medium.
As we continue to develop and refine this new language of interactive storytelling, we stand at the threshold of a new frontier in human expression and experience. The journey ahead is filled with challenges, but also with unprecedented opportunities to connect, to teach, to learn, and to inspire. In the end, this may be the most profound promise of games as a medium — not just to tell stories, but to help us understand and shape our own.
