Full course description
Course 5: Interactive Narrative
About the Course
The primary difference between video games and other art forms is interactivity. Players embody the characters in a game; instead of watching the protagonist make choices, they actively make choices for the player character.
For writers, choice takes on a different meaning in games that allow players to control the outcome of the plot. How do you ensure that game choices are meaningful, have consequences, and also don’t require an impossible amount of work for the game development team?
In this course we will explore how choice works in games, how branching plots work, and how to manage them with tools such as pinch points, bottlenecking and story silos. We’ll look at characters and dialogue, then get you writing your own interactive narrative with commonly available online tools.
Format
100% online, self-paced, and not for credit. You'll have the chance to discuss the assignments with your fellow students and will have the opportunity to attend drop-in virtual office hours to ask questions to the instructor.
Estimated Length: 5 weeks (self-paced)
Instructors: Ray Clark
Genre: Fiction
Audience: Open to anyone in the world - no university registration required, no experience required.
Prerequisite: None
Syllabus
CWVG-5 Interactive Narrative - Course Syllabus (PDF)
About the Instructors
Ray Clark is an independent game developer and a graduate of Creative Writing BFA and MFA programs at the University of British Columbia. They work primarily in story-driven video games, as well as in board game development, and their work is published on Steam and itch.io.
Questions?
You can contact us at: crwr.noncredit@ubc.ca
Some frequent questions:
Do you offer any discounts?
Yes! We offer 30% off if you sign up for all courses as a bundle. That’s $819 in savings! (regular price $2,730). All prices in Canadian dollars.
Do I need to have experience as a video games writer?No, This Certificate is accessible to anyone, no experience is required.
I don’t know if I want to commit to the Certificate. Can I just take the first course and go from there?
Absolutely! You can take the courses one by one, or just one course. Keep in mind though that to obtain the certificate, you need to take all six courses. Courses 1-5 are a pre-requisite to take Course 6. This last course includes a portfolio that needs to be submitted for grading and the certificate will be issued after successfully completing this assignment. Simply completing the coursework does not meet all the requirements for certification.
How long will I have access to the course materials?
You will have access to each course for 365 days from the time you start. We also provide downloadable transcripts of all videos and you're free to save these for future reference.
What is your refund policy?
We do not offer refunds due to the nature of this course (self-paced and asynchronous).
