Narrative Tactics for Mobile and Social Games

This book addresses areas where the narrative in mobile/social games tends to be weak or does not take into account the differences between games on these platforms and more traditional videogames.

Nashville native Toiya Kristen Finley is a writer and editor. She holds a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University. With nearly 70 published works of fiction, nonfiction, comics/manga, and games, she has over 20 years of experience writing in a range of genres, tones, styles, and voices. She gained editorial experience interning at Henry Holt's imprint, Owl Books. At Binghamton, she founded the literary journal Harpur Palate and served as its managing/fiction editor. In 2011, she co-founded the Game Writing Tutorial at GDC Online with Tobias Heussner and served as an instructor in 2011 and 2012. In videogames, she has worked as a game designer, narrative designer, game writer, and editor (or some combination of the four) on several indie, social, and mobile games for children and general audiences, including Academagia: The Making of Mages, Fat Chicken, Peregrin, and Verdant Skies. She is a member of the IGDA Game Writing Special Interest Group's Executive Board. The Game Narrative Toolbox (CRC Press), a book on narrative design she co-authored with Jennifer Brandes Hepler, Ann Lemay, and Tobias Heussner, was published in 2015.

Preface. Section 1. Keeping the Player at the Heart of the Story. Worldbuilding. Characters. Dialogue. Missions/Quests. Story for Non-Story-Oriented Games. Section 2. Games for Specific Demographics. Educational and Serious Games. Branding Games. Licensed IP. Mobile Games as Transmedia. Glossary. Appendices. Index.