What makes a story game, a story game?

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#1

I am very curious on the communities thoughts about story games or campaigns.
What do you think a story game should have for it to be nice and all?
I am asking this because I am very curious on making a story game with puzzles and subtle horror elements but more settled on exploration, but I dont have a clue on where to start with mechanics, story, or otherwise.

#2

For a Story game, you need to have a connection of details, randomly giving out details isn’t really a good idea, first get the Player Introduced to certain mechanics, then have them complete certain tasks. continue the story and make the characters alive and aware rather than just “What the hell am I doing here? Oh I have to do this? What is going on?”

Maybe you can have a bit of side quests rather than just main quests

  • Beginning
    Have the character introduced to the world you have created, have them test out certain abilities, let them explore the local area and meet some people there, after this, start off slow and then slowly move on with the story

  • Rising Action
    Have the player know more about what’s happening, maybe a Villian? maybe a virus?
    Are you trying to save the world? Are you trying to help someone?

  • Climax
    Usually the peak of the Story, usually when the character is most aware of certain facts, this is also where some boss battles happen or some huge events take place

  • Resolution
    when the story calms down, maybe a Boss was killed? maybe you saved the World? or maybe you saved a Princess from a Castle.

  • Ending
    The End of the Story, Usually here, its a happy ending, a sad ending, or maybe a bad ending, or even a Secret Ending? This is usually the point where people get to know what their choices have done and led to up to that point.

Usually this makes for good Story Games and why people like them, not just because it has cool characters or Mechanics, but because it has a good story, a reason to keep playing it again and again.

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#3

Typically, story games are linear-styled game flow. You might choose between “choose your own adventure”-type or more fixated to the theme and a pre-existing story to tell.

#4

To me, a good story game would be something that isn’t the same old, “Oh no, one food is poisoned, get something to help them”.

Basically, be original with most things you add. That way, it encourages play more than a story game with the same loop as others.

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