Measure

Narrative state

You might say: story state, relationship state, state space

A narrative state is the current combination of variables that determines which story content and outcomes are available.

What it does

Makes reactive story legible to the designer so content covers intended possibilities without abrupt or impossible transitions.

Ask

Which variables and thresholds distinguish the story states the player can reach?

Typical

Binary flags, counters, opposed stats, percentages or a few salient variables per scene; outcomes can be plotted.

Trouble

An action flips an outcome unexpectedly, a state has no content, or combinatorial branches become impossible to author.

Sources

1. Emily Short, Narrative States, Narrative States, abrupt state transitionsAt the corners between states, a single player action could flip the outcome to another suitor or to the solitude action. This can feel abrupt and confusing.

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Narrative state" (narrative-state) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/game-design/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

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