223 - Gaming Narratives: Power and Pitfalls in Interactive Storytelling - Feat. Chris - Part 1

Alex, Jem, and Matt are joined by lifelong writer and gamer Chris for a rich and unfiltered conversation on the craft of video game writing. They get into what sets game writing apart from other media like film, television, and books, exploring the challenges and unique storytelling power.

Chris shares insights from both his hands-on experience of writing and his deep love for gaming. The episode considers how interactivity and non-linearity shape the narrative experience, as they meander through topics such as relinquishing control, the strengths (and failings) of exposition in games, and the intricacies of crafting stories that players actively shape.

Highlights:

Game writing is fundamentally different: it must accommodate player choice and non-linear narratives.Interactivity changes everything: Writers share control of how a story is experienced and interpreted.Good writing supports immersion: Subtext, environmental storytelling, and silence often say more than exposition dumps.Bad writing breaks immersion: Clunky story telling or dialogue can pull players out of the experience.

Featured games - Elden Ring, The Witcher 3 , World of Warcraft, Split Fiction and Space Marine 2 to name a few.

Whether you're a player, a writer, or just curious about the storytelling potential of games, this episode pulls back the curtain on how narratives are built in the world of interactive entertainment.

🎧 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive deeper into writing choices, player agency, and what makes a truly great narrative in gaming.

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The podcast where 3 intersectional feminists examine gaming and games  through a feminist lens.  

New Episodes every Thursday.

Alex, Jem and Matt believe gaming is good.  Gaming is good for relaxation, for learning, for bringing people together and for your mental health. But like all media, there is both good and bad and we want to address how we make gaming a safe and healthy environment for women and minority groups (although lets not forget that people of colour are the global ethnic majority).

We want to see the small steps towards an intersectional feminist future that have been made in games to go further. We are Gaming the System because we want to see our beloved world of Gaming reflect the values we hold dear, and until it does we are here to shine a light on what needs to change.

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• No. of episodes: 225
• Latest episode: 2025-05-07
• Society & Culture Leisure Video Games

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