Player: “Why do I still think about that moment?” Me: *whispers* “Because you were scared.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #NarrativeTension #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Me: “Okay, safe moment.” Player: relaxes Me: “Great. Now—” Player: “WAIT—” 😭💀 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #EmotionalPacing #Suspense #GameDev

Me: “Okay, time to escalate.” Player: “Escalate what?” Me: “Yes.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Tension #Suspense #GameDev

Game: “You need to decide now.” Player: “I NEED A MOMENT.” Game: “You do not have one.” Player: 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerAgency #NarrativeTension #GameDev

Player: “What’s behind that door?” Game: *does not answer* Player: “…I hate you.” Me: “You’ll thank me later.” 😭🚪 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Suspense #Storycraft #GameDev

Me: “Let’s keep them just uncomfortable enough.” Player: “I haven’t relaxed in 45 minutes.” Me: “Perfect.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #NarrativeTension #Suspense #GameDev

Player: “That was MY story.” Me: “Exactly.” Player: “I’ll never emotionally recover.” Me: “Welcome to roleplay.” 😌🎭 #NarrativeDesign #RoleplayDesign #PlayerExperience #GameWriting #GameDev

Game: “This choice is morally complex.” Player: “I did what felt right.” Game: *quietly judges* Player: “…I said what I said.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #PlayerIdentity #MoralDesign #GameWriting #GameDev

Player: helps everyone for 10 hours NPC: “You’re different from the others.” Player: *emotionally adopts entire town* Me: “Working as intended.” 😌🏡 #NarrativeDesign #RoleplayDesign #NPCDesign #GameWriting #GameDev

Player: “Can I roleplay as something unhinged?” Me: “Within the rules of the world?” Player: “Yes.” Me: “Then absolutely.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #RoleplayDesign #GameWriting #InteractiveStorytelling #GameDev

Game: “Choose your alignment.” Player: *plays for 10 hours* Game: “Actually… you’re a menace.” Player: “Yeah that tracks.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #Roleplay #PlayerAgency #GameWriting #GameDev

Game: “You are a noble hero.” Player: “Actually I’m a tired little guy doing my best.” Me: “Valid. Canon.” 😭✨ #NarrativeDesign #PlayerIdentity #RoleplayDesign #GameWriting #GameDev

Player: “I still think about that one run.” Me: “Same.” System: *silently judging both of us*😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #SystemsDrivenStorytelling #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Player: “There’s no story here.” Also player: *emotionally devastated by a mechanic* Me: “The system spoke.” 😭🧠 #NarrativeDesign #EmergentNarrative #GameSystems #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “This system reinforces the theme.” Player: “I felt that.” Me: *narrative designer nod* 😌⚙️ #NarrativeDesign #SystemsDesign #GameWriting #ThematicDesign #GameDev

Player: “You won’t believe what happened in my run.” Me: “The system did its job.” Player: “I was emotionally changed.” Me: 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #EmergentStorytelling #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Me: “This mechanic should feel stressful.” Player hands: *sweaty* Player brain: “WHY AM I LIKE THIS.” Me: “Excellent.” 😌🧠 #NarrativeDesign #EmotionalDesign #GameMechanics #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “This system subtly reinforces the theme.” Player: *immediately creates a completely new story with it* Me: “…honestly? That rules.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #SystemsDesign #GameWriting #EmergentNarrative #GameDev

Player: “I didn’t see that coming.” Player, five seconds later: “Actually… yeah. That makes sense.” Me: *smiles in narrative satisfaction*😌🎬 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Cinematics #Storycraft #GameDev

Me: “We should end the cutscene here.” Also me: “But what if we let it sit for… two more seconds.” Player: *emotionally collapses* Me: “Worth it.” 😌🎞️ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Cinematics #Pacing #GameDev

Me: “Subtle emotion.” Animator: *one tiny shoulder slump* Player: “That ruined me.” 😭✨ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Cinematics #Performance #GameDev

Player: *puts controller down* Cutscene: “Quick-time event.” Player: “THIS IS A BETRAYAL.” 😭🎮 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CutsceneDesign #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Sneak peek at Fantasy Fall's script. #Scriptwriting #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #GameDev #WorldBuilding

Me: “We don’t need dialogue here.” Camera: *slow pan* Lighting: *devastating* Player: “WHY AM I CRYING.” 😭🎥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Cinematics #VisualStorytelling #GameDev

Player: “I just wanted to do a quest.” Player: *emotionally adopts an entire civilization* Me: “As intended.” 😌🌍 #NarrativeDesign #Worldbuilding #LoreArchitecture #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “The lore says this is impossible.” Story: “But it would hurt emotionally.” Me: “…fine. ONE exception.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #WorldSystems #LoreDesign #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “We have lore rules.” New idea: *tempting, shiny, extremely illegal* Me: “Okay but does it BREAK the world or just scare it a little.” 😭📜 #NarrativeDesign #Worldbuilding #LoreArchitecture #GameWriting #GameDev

Player: “I found one note.” Player, five minutes later: “I now understand the collapse of this entire civilization.” Me: *nods proudly* 😌📚 #NarrativeDesign #Worldbuilding #EnvironmentalStorytelling #LoreDesign #GameDev

Me: “This magic system is very fair.” World: *immediately exploits it* Me: “Ah. So that’s the theme.” 😭✨ #NarrativeDesign #WorldSystems #LoreArchitecture #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “I’ll just add one lore detail.” Also me, 3 hours later: *accidentally invents a religion, a war, and generational trauma* Lore be like that. 😭📜 #NarrativeDesign #Worldbuilding #LoreDesign #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “It’s just dialogue.” Also me: *staring into the abyss of a branching dialogue spreadsheet at 1am* Dialogue: “You will never be free.” 😭📊 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #InteractiveStorytelling #GameDev

Player on second playthrough: “This time I’ll be nice.” Player, immediately: *chooses menace option* Me: “You are consistent if nothing else.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #InteractiveDialogue #Replayability #GameWriting #GameDev

Me: “We only have budget for 3 branches.” Also me: “Okay but what if they emotionally feel like 20.” Producer: “…go on.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #ChoiceDesign #GameDev #Production

Player: “Does this choice matter?” Game: *NPC remembers it 12 hours later* Player: “I WILL NEVER RECOVER.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #InteractiveStorytelling #GameWriting #PlayerAgency #GameDev

Player: “I thought this option meant I was being polite.” Game: *character commits emotional war crime* Player: “…that’s on me, actually.” 😭 #NarrativeDesign #ChoiceDesign #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Me: “These dialogue options represent nuanced emotional intent.” Player: “Which one sounds the pettiest.” Me: “…valid.” 😭🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #InteractiveDialogue #PlayerAgency #GameDev

Player: “Why did this scene hit so hard?” Me: *whispers* “Psychology.” 🧠✨ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerPsychology #GameDev #EmotionalDesign

Player: “I trust this game.” Me: “Good. Now hold my hand while I emotionally ruin you fairly.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #EmotionalDesign #GameDev

Me: *plants ominous foreshadowing* Player: “Something bad is going to happen.” Me: “Yes.” Player: “When?” Me: “🙂” 😭 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerPsychology #EmotionalDesign #GameDev

Player: “Why did that happen?” Game: “Because of you.” Player: “…oh.” 😶🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerAgency #EmotionalDesign #GameDev

Me: “Okay, give them a breather.” Also me: *adds a soft emotional gut punch instead* Player: “THAT WAS NOT A BREATHER.” 😭💀 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #EmotionalPacing #GameDev

Me: “Let’s gently guide the player emotionally.” Player brain: *latches onto one random detail and obsesses forever* Me: “Okay then. That’s canon now.” 😭🧠 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerPsychology #EmotionalDesign #GameDev

Me: “I miss the old draft.” Also me, reading the revised version: “…okay yeah this is way better.” 😭✨ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CreativeProcess #GameDev

Feedback: “This part is confusing.” Me: “Okay but is it confusing bad or confusing interesting.” Feedback: “…both?” Me: “Perfect, I know what to do.” 😌 🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Feedback #Iteration #GameDev

Me rereading a draft: “Why does this scene feel like it wandered in from a different game.” Scene: “I’m just vibing.” Me: “Not anymore.” 😭✂️ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Revision #Tone #GameDev

Me: “This makes sense to me.” Also me: “But does it make sense to someone who isn’t living in my brain?” Brain: *static noises* 📡😭 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #PlayerExperience #Revision #GameDev

Me deleting a line I love: “I’ll remember you.” *Ctrl + X* Me: *screams quietly into the void* 😭 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Editing #Storycraft #GameDev

Me: “The draft is done.” Also me, rereading it: “Wow. This is… a draft.” 😭✍️ #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Rewriting #CreativeProcess #GameDev

Me: “I’m gonna write something emotional.” Also me: *ruins everyone’s weekend with one line* Players: “I trusted you.” Me: “That was your mistake.” 😌🔥 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #EmotionInGames #PlayerExperience #GameDev

Character: “I’m fine.” Me: “You literally are not.” Character: “No really, I’m fine.” Me: *gives them emotional crisis anyway* Character: 😭 #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #CharacterEmotion #InternalConflict #GameDev