DIALOGUE
Good game dialogue does more than just convey quest information, it creates memorable characters that spark strong reactions in the player.
To achieve that, NPCs must use idiosyncratic language, evoke strong player responses via provocative questions and lines of inquiry, and have an agenda in the conversation that is outside the player’s goals.
Holoself Motivation
Game: Momoguro • Legends of Uno
Characters: Nadi & Zeke
“That's no key, cuate. That's a door. And we're going to open it.”
Inside the player’s Holoself, Nadi, an impulsive, overachieving Lucha, must learn to coexist with Zeke, a shy, cynical Sento who distrusts everything and everyone.
As the Legends of Uno story begins, the challenge was to set up these two deep, layered, and highly driven internal characters—their specific wants, needs, and obsessions—while escalating the action towards the event that motivates the player’s journey through the game.
Interactive Showcase
Game: Batman • The Telltale Series
Characters: Bruce & Alfred
The key to writing an impactful interactive scene is to ensure the dialogue builds towards a key event that offers the player a meaningful choice that questions their own morality or sense of judgement.
In this scene from a series pitch, Batman: Dance of Death, Alfred is appealing to a beaten Bruce to take a break from his responsibilities as Batman.
“Have you ever considered hanging up this suit of yours? For longer than just an afternoon?”