Matching Stories to Game Types

Complex narratives usually involve multiple character storylines, a complete world-building, and stronger thematic conflicts, making them suitable for story-driven works. The advantage of such narratives is high emotional intensity and deep resonance, but the downside is clear—slower pacing, larger amounts of information, higher demands on the player’s attention, and the potential for narrative to constrain gameplay freedom. Therefore, complex narratives are more suitable for mid-pace, story-focused game types.

On the other hand, simple narratives emphasize clear motivation and seamless action, with minimal understanding required from the player. They are better suited for action, platform, puzzle, or simulation games, as players can understand “why” they are doing something while actively engaging in the gameplay. Emotions are more easily aligned with the rhythm of the game, but such narratives may sometimes be perceived as lacking depth.

In terms of creative approach, there are two main directions: narrative-first and gameplay-first. Narrative-first means defining the theme, characters, and plot first, then designing the gameplay to express them, but this often results in lower freedom for the player. Gameplay-first emphasizes systems and mechanics, with the story naturally emerging from the player’s actions.

In practice, most works combine the two, allowing the narrative to provide motivation and direction while gameplay offers actions and feedback, creating a complete experience loop.