AdventureX is a convention dedicated to narrative-driven games, and after a COVID-induced hiatus, my fave UK games industry event is back!
Thanks to the grassroots nature of the event and the focus on narrative in games. AdventureX is an amazing mix of the latest indie adventure games and talks that cover a broad range of topics by an even broader range of speakers.
For a professional narrative designer working in the games industry, AdventureX has become THE event for me. I get to meet with like-minded people, play games made by those I admire and learn a thing or two that is actually relevant to my work through the talks.
Here is a quick summary of each of the talks, with the odd badly taken photo or two and the key takeaway I personally took from them.
Note: I’ll add links to the individual talk recordings when they are available. For now, you can catch them all on the AdventureX Twitch Channel: AdventureXpo - Twitch
Note: There is way more to the expo than the talks head to the AdventureX website and Steam Sale (!) to see the games that were on show both past and present
An Accessibility Adventure
Conor Bradley
Conor took the audience through Soft Leaf Studio’s journey to make their game, Stories of Blossom, more accessible for all. Each accommodation unlocked not just new potential players but also enriched the gameplay in the process.
He also included a great and easy-to-follow set of guidelines:
Games have barriers
Try to remove them
Start early
Get feedback from disabled players
Personal Takeaway: Any work you do towards making your game more accessible will make it a better game.
The Personal is Powerful: Storytelling and Intersectionality
Aley Baracat
Aley took us on a very personal journey from childhood to today to give context on how to use the Power of Embodiment in our games. This intimate look at an even more intimate piece of interactive art was full of amazing ideas and implementations of physical and digital mechanics.
Personal Takeaway: Non-linear modular multimedia stories invite participants to be part of the narrative in a deeply personal way.
A Pocket Guide to Godhood: On Worldbuilding
Andy Walsh
K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) was the flavour of the day as Andy highlighted the pitfalls many developers fall into when crafting worlds. From weaving narrative into gameplay being your guiding light to rules like, You should only be exploring the past of your world if it is relevant to the present. Andy put everyone in their place in a good way, encouraging us all to focus on the interactive part of the interactive medium that is games. Also, collectable diaries are good (when used correctly).
Personal Takeaway: Priority for storytelling and delivery in games Do (playing the game ) > Show (world the game is set in) > Tell (pace of information)
Creating a Multiplayer Co-op Narrative Engine
Yoyu Li
Yoyu’s very open look at the conditional state-based variable switches at the heart of Whispers of the West showcased a robust way to track data for multiple players. Ensuring that the right information is presented at the right time, in the right way and with the right context for each player. She also showed how they prototyped the game using a Discord Bot which is an approach I will be stealing for its simplicity and power.
Personal Takeaway: Condition-based switches are a perfect way to organise more interwoven interactive narratives without becoming overwhelming for the writer.
Choice Design
Nina Roussakoff
Nina gave the audience the gift of choice. She covered choice in all its forms and how you should be using them to shape player emotion in those moments of choice in your game. She also shared a handy list of guidelines which does a great job of giving form to the gut feeling many of us have when crafting choice-based narratives.
Clear - Is the player aware they are making a choice?
Information - Does the player have the right amount of information to make the choice?
Reasonable - Does the choice fit within the player’s expectations of the moment/scene/genre/game?
Difference - Are the outcomes of the choice clearly different from each other?
Personal Takeaway: The moment of the choice itself is more important and satisfying than the outcome and repercussions.
Ellipsis and Grotesque in Videogames
Francois Alliot
This talk was a journey. One that showed that the grotesque is more than an aesthetic choice. It can be a way to evolve your game as it progresses. Challenging your players by playing with the tension between what is known and unknown. If you keep adding twists and turns that build on the expectations you laid out for your players, and you’ll even surprise yourself.
Personal Takeaway: Use the grotesque to mutate your ideas, story, characters and game mechanics to surprise and engross your players.
Dark Passages: Interactive Fiction and the Gothic
Eve McLachlan
Three things became clear to me in Eve’s talk:
Eve has a true passion for Interactive Fiction and Gothic literature.
Expressive mediums and stories for “niche” audiences are considered trash until they transcend the norm to become art.
Revel in the unknown in your stories. It will draw players into your world and make them part of the story.
Personal Takeaway: The relationship between the player and the author of interactive fiction can be deeply personal and profound.
Fireside Chat with Mike Bithell
Mike Bithell
In this fireside chat, Mike shared his journey from making Thomas Was Alone to now working on the upcoming TRON: Identity with the team at Bithell games. He also dived into detail on the many lessons learned along the way.
Personal Takeaway: Find the unique idea, point of view or skill only you can do and make that the focus of your games.
Dreaming of Intersectionality - Crafting the World of Desta: The Memories Between
Mike Anderson
Mike took us through the journey to make Desta a truly intersectional character whose design and writing were informed by the lived experiences of those who contributed to the game. From dealing with the nuances of localisation for non-binary characters to realising the team needed to express their experience of people misgendering Desta into the game. This talk serves as a roadmap on how to be truly inclusive in your game’s narrative design and story.
Personal Takeaway: If you don’t have the lived experience of the characters you are writing: Ask someone who does and pay them! Also, stay hydrated!
Desire in Failbetter’s Mask of the Rose
James Chew
Desire in games can be a tricky thing, thankfully, James was on hand to guide us all through the treacherous waters. In particular, with a focus on desire and romance being more than just building up to unlockable romantic cutscenes. Desire needs to fit in with the tone, expectations and loops of your games, and there are many ways to express it.
Personal Takeaway: When writing romance and desire into your games, ask, “What is the player looking for at this moment?” And then, “What can the player learn about the characters involved and the world of your game through the moment?”
Games & Self-care
Velvet Spors & Imo Kaufman
This pre-recorded talk (thanks COVID!) by Velvet and Imo gave the audience a quick overview of their work researching the self-care benefits of games. Whether by playing games to escape reality, reflecting on one's self or learning to empathise with others. Games have the capacity to go above and beyond when it comes to mental health support.
Personal Takeaway: Build time and space in your games for players to relate and explore both themselves and the world of your game to find meaning.
Your Community Will Save You
Joannes Truyens
AdventureX came full circle in Joannes' talk as he shared the development journey of Neurocracy, a concept he was galvanised to work on after sharing the rough idea with others and a prior AdventureX. Neurocracy’s unique mix of Wiki-style website, mystery story, and live storytelling leads to the birth of a new and exciting type of game, the TTARG (Tabletop Alternate Reality Game).
Personal Takeaway: When telling a live story, lean into the ideas, theories and characters your community gravitate towards with each update. “Yes, and…” their passion for your game.
Raze It or Restart It? How Modular Design Saved Old Skies
David Gilbert
A mainstay of AdvenutreX David Gilbert’s talks are always entertaining, introspective and educational. By his own account, a mix of not quite having the right idea, COVID woes and writer’s block almost lead to the end of his next game, Old Skies. However, by looking at what made his previous games tick, David was able to unlock and formalise the design methodology he had been using for years.
Personal Takeaway: Modular Design allows you to focus on what you enjoy and explore it many times over. The key is going back and connecting it all together in a meaningful way.
Curiosity Multiplied The Cat: AI Writing Experiments
Charlene Putney & Martin Pichlmair
I’m sceptical when it comes to AI Writing and how it can work with pre-existing writing workflows. Charlene and Martin shared their expertise and talked the audience through a handful of experiments and tools they can try out at home. Ending with a fun live demonstration of their AI writing tool, Laika.
Personal Takeaway: AI writing tools can help you kickstart ideas or quickly get concepts across to your team.
Characters that Listen & Respond
Andrew Oliver
Just like AI writing, I am also sceptical of computer-generated voice acting. While there are still limitations to it, RichCast, as shown by Andrew Oliver, looks like a feature-rich toolset-come-platform that is set to evolve with the tech underpinning it.
Personal Takeaway: If your game is focused on narrative, make sure your players can experience the whole narrative from beginning to end.
The Adventurers’ Tavern
Jon Ingold, Chella Ramanan, Francisco Gonzales & Jade Leamcharaskul
In a truly chaotic finale to AdventureX, the panellists of The Adventurers’ Tavern discussed a wide variety of topics. From top tips on procrastinating to how to discourage young people from joining the games industry. The panel swung from the light-hearted to the serious in equal measure with a lot of concern about what the future might bring for indie developers.
Personal Takeaway: In what is looking likely to become a post-Twitter world. The Indie Dev scene has yet to find a truly viable alternative to Twitter to market their games.