Handwritten Games

 

 

... is an award-winning game and narrative design consultancy

with hundreds of thousands of words and deep worldbuilding in fan-beloved universes such as

Battlestar Galactica and Warhammer 40,000.

 

 
The start of an adventure...

The start of an adventure...

 

Week One

Slides & Notes

Week One slides available here.

Digital course manual

 

Case Studies

Uncharted 2 || Naughty Dog
Website

Killing Time at Lightspeed || Gritfish
Steam, Antholojam

Freedom Fall || Stirfire Studios
Steam, Website

Star Hammer: The Vanguard Prophecy || Black Lab Games Steam, Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Pokemon Go!

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Perth Global Game Jam 2017 Games

 

Resources

Twine

Do You Want To Write Video Games - David Gaider

Slay The Dragon: Writing Great Video Games - Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio

 

The first of many secrets.

The first of many secrets.

Week Two

Interactive Narrative

Slides & Notes

Week Two slides

Terminology dictionary

 

Case Studies

The Walking Dead: Season One || Telltale Games
Steam, Website

Kentucky Route Zero ||  Cardboard Computer
Steam, Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Dishonored 2

Façade

Dwarf Fortress

The Stanley Parable

Life Is Strange

Fiasco

Grand City

 

Resources

Designing for Mystery - Jake Elliot (Cardboard Computer) GDC 2013 Talk

Non-linear Storytelling - Ian Schrieber, Game Design Concepts

Fiasco - Tabletop, Geek & Sundry on Youtube

 

Twine Resources

Twine Wiki

Harlowe 2.0 Manual

A Total Beginner's Guide to Twin - Adam Hammond (courtesy of Kim!)


We define ourselves by our actions.

We define ourselves by our actions.

Week Three

Characters

Slides

Week Three slides

 

Case Studies

Firewatch || Campo Santo
Steam, Website

Journey || thatgamecompany
Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Legend of Zelda

Day of the Tentacle

Civilization

Until Dawn

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Mass Effect 3

 

Resources

philome.la - Twine hosting service

Week Three Twine Example - Variables, Macros & Hooks (Import this file into Twine to see the example macros.)


The right tool for the job.

The right tool for the job.

Week Four

Tools & Processes

Slides

Week Four slides

 

Case Studies

Gone Home || Fullbright
Steam, Website

Everybody's Gone To The Rapture || The Chinese Room
SteamWebsite

80 Days || Inkle
Steam, App Store, Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Loom

Left 4 Dead

Evolve

Human Resource Machine

World of Goo

Dear Esther

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

 

Resources

Double Fine Adventure - Youtube Documentary

Grand City - Anthony's digital comic project!

Scrivener

Articy: Draft

Final Draft

Unity - 3D Game Engine

Playmaker - Visual Scripting Asset for Unity

RPG Maker - RPG Game Engine

Inform - Interactive Fiction Engine


These wild vistas had hidden their camps for centuries.

These wild vistas had hidden their camps for centuries.

Week Five

Worldbuilding

Slides

Week Five slides

 

Case Studies

Transistor || Supergiant Games
Steam, Website

Overwatch || Blizzard Entertainment
Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

No Thank You Evil!

Dungeons & Dragons

Warhammer & Warhammer 40k

Mad Max

Lego Avengers

 

Resources

Inkle

Breaking Conventions with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Satoru Takizawa & Takuhiro Dohta (Nintendo), GDC Vault, 2017

Sanderson's First Law of Magic - Brandon Sanderson


There was a whole world waiting...

There was a whole world waiting...

Week Six

Endings & Next Steps

Slides

Week Six slides

 

Case Studies

Mass Effect 3 || Bioware
Origin, Website

Firewatch ||Campo Santa
Steam, Website

 

Other Games Discussed

Android: Netrunner

Eldritch Horror

Conan Exiles

Oxenfree

Spelunky

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Transistor

 

Resources

Death to the Three Act Structure! - Richard Rouse III & Tom Abernathy, GDC Vault, 2014

The End of Firewatch - Duncan Fyfe, Campo Santo Quarterly, 2016

GDC Vault (Youtube)

Melbourne International Games Week

Games Connect Asia Pacific

Perth Games Festival

Let's Make Games

Playup Perth

Global Game Jam

HH Game-Box-Top-Sticker-10.png

© 2020 Handwritten Games. All rights reserved.