What is it about?
An analysis of the ways that puzzle games and narratives communicate to readers and players. Jonathan Blow's 2008 video game "Braid" is compared to Georges Perec's 1978 novel "Life A User's Manual" and to Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass."
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Why is it important?
"Unraveling Braid" argues that stories that play games with their readers, and puzzle games that tell stories to their players, are examples of "imperative" storytelling. The concept allows games and other media to be analyzed closely while taking into account both player interactivity and authorial design.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Unraveling Braid: Puzzle Games and Storytelling in the Imperative Mood, Bulletin of Science Technology & Society, December 2012, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0270467612469071.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Unraveling Braid: Puzzle Games and Storytelling in the Imperative Mood
A pre-publication version of "Unraveling Braid," with screenshots and illustrations.
Mapping Metroid: Narrative, Space, and Other M
An article that extends the concept of Imperative storytelling to the long-running "Metroid" video game series.
Braid (Video Game)
Wikipedia page for the video game "Braid."
Conflicts in Game Design
"Braid" designer Jonathan Blow's 2008 talk at the Montreal International Game Summit.
Contributors
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