Storytelling in the Modern Board Game: Narrative Trends from the Late 1960s to Today

by Marco Arnaudo, Matthew Wilhelm Kapell (Editor)

Over the years, board games have evolved to include relatable characters, vivid settings and compelling, intricate plotlines. In turn, players have become more emotionally involved--taking on, in essence, the role of coauthors in an interactive narrative. Through the lens of game studies and narratology--traditional storytelling concepts applied to the gaming world--this book explores the synergy of board games, designers and players in story-oriented designs. The author provides development guidance for game designers and recommends games to explore for hobby players.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gaming, Writing

232 pages, Paperback

Published August 30, 2018

Reviews

[Rickey McKown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been a boardgamer and wargamer for over 60 years, and having in recent years discovered and thoroughly enjoyed Marco Arnaudo's game reviews on BGG, I was intrigued to discover that he had written this study of storytelling in games. The book gives an interesting overview of the evolution of storytelling in boardgaming and RPGs over the last 50+ years, interconnecting the various streams of gaming in that period - in particular highlighting the emergence of RPGs from the matrix of 1960's-1970's wargaming, with which I am very familiar. My only complaint is that the publisher did not invest sufficient resources in editing the book - there are, sadly, many instances of omitted words, extraneous words, and grammatical errors that detract detract from the book, although thankfully the writing is clear enough that these errors seldom prevent the reader from understanding the meaning.

[Vincent Darlage · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author did an excellent job of giving an overview of narrative in games, as well as excellent guidance for game designers. It also offers advice for gamers like myself to find games we'd enjoy. I loved the examination of how role-playing games altered how boardgames can be approached. I also enjoyed the trip down memory lane, as I am old enough to remember playing many of the games he discusses (like Dark Tower). I love when board games manage to feel immersive, and he illustrates well how this can be done, and which games have done it well.