'How does one tell a story without words? How does one construct a narrative for an audience without relying on words to reveal character and circumstances? My digital vignette, Rise, accounts a character’s morning routine without the exposition and cues provided by the narration or dialogue in traditional creative writing. This paper uses Rise as a lens through which to examine the inseparability of ludology and narratology in games, asserting that mechanical challenge can present narrative conflict, while player actions can become story. Although design choices can be used to guide the audience through a structured, linear narrative, the interpretation of that narrative relies on the audience’s ability to assign meaning to their actions, as well as the objects they encounter within their environment. Navigating the challenges of storytelling without words while designing Rise has revealed new approaches to my creative practice, and has implications for understanding how game mechanics influence narrative development, particularly in how they can further the pedagogical purposes of serious games.' (Publication abstract)
