Narrative Design Master Class: Write stories for Video Games from Udemy

Why this course is special

This course is like no other on the market. We're going to be looking at some very interesting concepts when it comes to Narrative Design.

My Guarantee

For every student that joins the course, they will be able to ask questions about their games and how to go about using their story to help develop their game. I will be available to answer any and all questions for all of my students.

The Course Structure

The course is almost all videos. It will take between 6.5 hours to complete. After you finish this course, you will have a more robust understanding of how to write for your games.

The course is structured into 8 main Sections.

Section 2: Introduction to Narrative Design
In this section, We will be taking a solid look at what is narrative design. Understanding all the fundamentals that go into writing and grasp a deep comprehension of plot theory. We will also look at game genres, player archetypes, mechanics, clarity in writing, and much more.
Section 3: Concept / Pitch
Here, we look at how to generate and cultivate ideas from their initial inception to writing out a full-blown pitch document. This section allows you to create your concept that will be pushed throughout the entire course.
Section 4: World Building
This is my favorite section because here, we will look at the intricacies of building a full-scale world from nothing. We will talk about climate, mood, setting, who inhabits it, is it fantasy, is it science fiction and much more
Section 5: Character
In this section, we flesh out our main protagonist and give them a sense of purpose in the out newly created world. This will allow us to see which of the 4 main types of character we want to create/. We when looking at Character Psychology and the 16 personality types, along with really looking at diversity in video games and how to make it more efficient
Section 6: Story
This section is dedicated to player agency, giving the player a sense of purpose throughout the entire game and respecting their choices. We take a critical look at Linear, Non-Linear and open-world games and their perspective on player agency.
Section 7: Dialogue
Here we will look at dialogue and the importance it represents in-game. How to write dialogue, the 3 main types, and incorporating cutscenes into the game.
Section 8: Bringing it all together
This section brings all previous sections together to understand the fundamentals of narrative design
Section 9: Bonus: Breaking into the industry as a Narrative Designer
In this Bonus Section, we take a look at what tools are at a Narrative Designer's disposal to break into the industry and start their careers right after finishing this course

Certification of completion when finishing this course

When you complete 100% of the videos in this course, you will be emailed a certificate of completion by Udemy so you can show it as proof of your expertise and that you have completed a certain number of hours of instruction in the course topic.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction

Join the Community!

Assignment Breakdown

Why you want to write

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores player agency in linear, non-linear, and open-world games, which is essential for creating engaging and immersive player experiences

Covers world-building, character development, and dialogue writing, which are all fundamental skills for narrative designers in the gaming industry

Includes a bonus section on breaking into the industry as a narrative designer, which offers practical advice for launching a career

Examines plot theory and game genres, providing a solid foundation for understanding narrative design principles and their application in various game contexts

Requires learners to cultivate ideas from their initial inception to writing out a full-blown pitch document, which may be challenging for some learners

Includes sections on character psychology and diversity in video games, which may be useful for learners interested in creating complex and inclusive narratives

Reviews summary

Narrative design fundamentals and industry overview

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation in narrative design for video games. Students appreciate the coverage of key areas like world-building, character creation, and understanding player agency. The bonus section on breaking into the industry is frequently highlighted as particularly valuable. While learners feel it offers a helpful introduction and clear explanations, some note that the "Master Class" title might set expectations for greater depth, suggesting it functions best as a comprehensive overview rather than an exhaustive deep dive. Overall, it's seen as a strong starting point for aspiring game writers and narrative designers.

Covers many topics, may lack deep dives.

"Touches on many areas without always going in-depth."

"A good overview but I wanted more detail on certain topics."

"The 'Master Class' title might imply more advanced content than is present."

"Felt like some sections moved very quickly."

Instructor is responsive to student questions.

"Instructor answered my questions quickly and thoughtfully."

"Appreciated the instructor's support throughout the course."

"Felt like I could ask anything about my project ideas."

Bonus section offers valuable career advice.

"The bonus section on breaking into the industry was invaluable."

"Liked the practical tips on getting started as a narrative designer."

"The career advice felt very relevant and helpful."

Explores key areas like world-building and character.

"Really enjoyed the sections on world building and character development."

"The course covers a wide range of relevant topics."

"Liked how it connected character psychology to game design."

"Explores different game types and their narrative needs."

Provides a clear introduction to core concepts.

"Gave me a solid understanding of narrative design fundamentals."

"Clear breakdown of concepts like plot theory and player types."

"I feel like I have a good grasp of the basics after this."

"Provides a great starting point for learning game narrative."

Could benefit from more hands-on exercises.

"Needed more hands-on examples and exercises to practice concepts."

"Wish there were more assignments or project work integrated."

"Mostly theoretical, less focused on practical implementation steps."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Narrative Design Master Class: Write stories for Video Games with these activities:

Review 'Save the Cat! Writes a Novel'

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Learn about story structure and pacing using a popular novel-writing guide to improve your narrative design skills.

View Save the Cat! Writes a Young Adult Novel: The... on Amazon

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Read the book, focusing on the 'beats' and structure.
Identify how these beats could translate to game mechanics.
Outline a game narrative using the 'Save the Cat' structure.

Review Plot Theory

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Solidify your understanding of fundamental plot structures before diving into game-specific narrative design.

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Review classic plot structures like Freytag's Pyramid.
Analyze examples of plot structures in existing games.
Practice outlining different plot structures.

Design a Game Narrative Outline

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Apply the course concepts by creating a detailed narrative outline for a game concept.

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Choose a game genre and target audience.
Develop a compelling premise and core conflict.
Outline the main story beats and character arcs.
Write a short synopsis of the game's narrative.

Four other activities

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Write Dialogue Samples

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Practice writing different types of dialogue to improve your ability to create engaging in-game conversations.

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Choose a character and create a character profile.
Write examples of ambient, interactive, and cutscene dialogue.
Get feedback on your dialogue from peers or mentors.

Review 'The Writer's Journey'

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Explore the Hero's Journey framework to enhance your understanding of character development and narrative structure.

View The Writer's Journey - 25th Anniversary Edition... on Amazon

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Read the book, focusing on the different stages of the Hero's Journey.
Identify examples of the Hero's Journey in existing games.
Apply the Hero's Journey to your game narrative outline.

Create a World Design Document

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Solidify your world-building skills by creating a comprehensive world design document for your game concept.

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Define the climate, mood, and setting of your world.
Develop the history, culture, and races of your world.
Create a map of your fictional world.
Document the economics and politics of your world.

Contribute to a Game Mod

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Gain practical experience by contributing to the narrative design of an existing game mod.

Show steps

Find an open-source game mod project.
Offer to help with the narrative design aspects.
Contribute dialogue, world-building, or story elements.

Career center

Learners who complete Narrative Design Master Class: Write stories for Video Games will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Narrative Designer

Narrative designers are responsible for the overall story and player experience in video games. This course, with its unique focus on narrative design concepts, prepares individuals for this role. The course introduces the fundamentals of narrative design, enabling students to grasp plot theory, game genres, and player archetypes. The course provides an approach to world building, creating climate, mood, setting, and inhabitants. The course gives instruction on character development and psychology. With a section dedicated to player agency, respecting player choices, as well as a section on writing effective dialogue, this training ensures that the narrative designer can craft compelling game stories.

See salaries and explore the career path for Narrative Designer

Video Game Writer

A video game writer crafts compelling narratives and engaging dialogue that drive the player experience. This course helps build a foundation in narrative design, covering essential elements such as plot theory and game genres. Sections on world building enable the video game writer to create immersive and believable settings. The course assists in developing complex characters with purpose, enriching the story and gameplay. Knowledge of player agency is highly valuable for a video game writer, as the writer learns to respect the player's choices and create meaningful experiences. The course's attention to dialogue types and cutscenes prepares the video game writer to create engaging, interactive stories, breathing life into virtual worlds.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Writer

Quest Designer

Quest designers specialize in creating engaging and meaningful quests within video games. The course helps the quest designer by providing a framework for understanding player agency and how to incorporate it into quest design. The course assists in world building for creating immersive quest settings. By developing characters with compelling backstories, quest designers are able to craft more engaging narratives. The course emphasizes dialogue, which helps the quest designer in constructing meaningful interactions and dialogue trees within quests.

See salaries and explore the career path for Quest Designer

Creative Director

Creative directors oversee the creative aspects of a project or campaign, including the narrative elements in video games. The course helps one to understand narrative design principles, enabling them to guide the creative vision of a game. The course provides a framework for world building, character development, and dialogue writing. The course helps develop their ability to manage interdisciplinary creative teams. By understanding player agency and narrative design, the creative director ensures creative content that resonates with the target audience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Creative Director

Story Editor

Story editors work in publishing houses, newspapers, and video game companies reviewing the work of other writers. Given the course's strong focus on narrative structure, character development, and world-building, it helps a story editor refine their skills in evaluating and improving narrative content. The course provides insights into plot theory that may be useful when providing feedback. With its emphasis on character psychology, the course sharpens the ability to identify character inconsistencies. By exploring different dialogue types, the course provides the knowledge to enhance dialogue's effectiveness and impact.

See salaries and explore the career path for Story Editor

Content Creator

Content creators develop engaging material for various platforms, including video games and related media. This course helps content creators who wish to specialize in narrative content. The course provides a structure that helps generate and cultivate ideas. The course provides a strong foundation in the development of game worlds and characters. Sections on dialogue and storytelling help a content creator produce material that resonates with audiences. A content creator with knowledge of narrative design crafts content that captures imagination.

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Editor

Editors review and revise written material to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency. This course is helpful to an editor focusing on narrative content, such as books, screenplays, or video games. The course helps build the editor's understanding of plot theory, character development, and dialogue writing. With its emphasis on clarity in writing, the course assists an editor in improving the overall readability and coherence of written works. The course, with instruction on world building, helps an editor address inconsistencies in narrative and setting.

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Producer

Producers oversee the development and production of video games, managing budgets, timelines, and team coordination. This course provides a useful foundation in narrative design, enabling the producer to better understand the creative process. The course helps the producer communicate effectively with narrative designers. The course provides the producer with a complete view of the game development process, improving efficiency and quality. The course may be useful for a producer involved in narrative-heavy games.

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Game Designer

Game designers conceive and create the overall vision and gameplay mechanics of a video game. This course may be useful, as it provides a comprehensive understanding of narrative design and how it integrates with game mechanics. The course assists in understanding player archetypes and mechanics. The course helps build design skills, from initial concept to pitch document. World building lessons help design immersive game environments. The course assists aspiring game designers in creating games with compelling stories and engaging player experiences.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Localization Specialist

Localization specialists adapt video games for different regions and languages, ensuring cultural relevance and linguistic accuracy. This course may be useful, as it helps them understand the nuances of dialogue writing and character development. The course assists the localization specialist in conveying the intended meaning and tone of the original script. The course improves their understanding of player archetypes, so they can tailor the game to the preferences of different cultural audiences. The course helps localization specialists create authentic and engaging experiences for players around the world.

See salaries and explore the career path for Localization Specialist

Writer

A writer crafts written content across various mediums. While the course focuses on video games, it can benefit individuals in the writing profession. The course helps build an understanding of narrative design, plot theory, and character development. The course discusses the importance of clarity in writing, which is applicable across all writing disciplines. With its structure on idea generation, the course assists a writer in generating creative concepts. This course helps a writer to transfer storytelling insights from video games to other forms of writing. It may be especially useful for a writer interested in developing interactive narratives in any context.

See salaries and explore the career path for Writer

User Experience Designer

User experience designers focus on enhancing the user's interaction with a product, including video games. The course assists them in understanding how narrative design impacts the player experience. The course helps a user experience designer to design intuitive interfaces that support the story and gameplay. The course provides user experience designers an awareness of player agency, enabling them to create designs that respect player choice. The course helps the user experience designer to create engaging and enjoyable user experiences.

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Instructional Designer

Instructional designers create learning experiences and training materials. This course can equip an instructional designer with a unique approach to narrative design, which can be applied to create engaging training programs. The course emphasizes character, plot, and dialogue, which can be leveraged to design compelling learning scenarios. The course teaches one to create immersive learning environments. The course assists instructional designers in making educational content more memorable and impactful.

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Technical Writer

Technical writers create documentation and guides for various products, including video games. This course provides insights into the narrative design process, which can be valuable for technical writers involved in creating game manuals or tutorials. The course emphasizes clarity in writing, which improves their ability to convey complex information concisely. With an understanding of game mechanics and player archetypes, a technical writer can effectively communicate game instructions. The course helps the technical writer to create documentation that enhances the player experience.

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Game Programmer

Game programmers translate design specifications into functional code, bringing video games to life. While this role is primarily technical, the course helps them appreciate the narrative aspects of game development. The course assists game programmers in understanding how their code impacts the player experience and contributes to the overall story. The course provides insight into player archetypes, enabling them to build systems that cater to diverse play styles. The course encourages game programmers to work collaboratively with narrative designers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Programmer

Narrative Design Master Class

Write stories for Video Games

What's inside

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Narrative design fundamentals and industry overview

Activities

Career center

Featured in The Course Notes

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