Video Game Narrative 101

In this class, we’ll study how the medium of video games creates unique stories, how the player’s role shapes their experience and understanding of these themes, and how to carry this media savvy into all other kinds of narratives, including our own writing. By the end of this course, students will learn how to approach interactive narratives like those found in video games and consider how their mechanics, design, and player interactions influence a game’s larger themes and ideas.

Students will leave the course with a better grasp on the role a particular work’s medium plays in its thematic elements, and with a better grasp of how to consider a work’s method of delivery in presenting its ideas. Students will gain better understanding in the fields of media literacy, thematic analysis, and authorial voice.