Theater and illusion in games

A recent conversation with someone who's put on countless theater productions got me thinking about the similarities between stage shows and game design. Yes, they are strikingly different mediums of entertainment and storytelling, but at the core of each can be found the same fundamental, over-arching rule:

"Do not break the illusion."


Theater is all about tricking an audience into believing something is happening in front of them when it's truly not. The actors, costumes, set design, scene progression... everything works towards that singular purpose of weaving an elaborate illusion. Some suspension of disbelief is expected from the theater-goers, as they have come to the show wanting to be immersed in the experience. However, if there is even a subtle perception that the tiniest element is out of place (ie. actors stumbling over their lines, poorly painted backdrops) the illusion is "broken" and the entire production suffers. The audience is no longer watching a dramatic exchange between forbidden lovers, but actors in silly costumes, moving around in choreographed patterns on a stage.

Game designers face a similar challenge, and videogame successes (and failures) of the past reinforce how important it is to maintain that illusion for the player. As games become more realistic, unfortunate but accepted staples of the past such as clipping or invisible walls now very much break the illusion of the story or world. Every element of the game must be delicately crafted and shaped toward keeping players immersed, and that can be a daunting task for designers.

Luckily, there are a number of tricks that we (specifically RM / independent / amateur developers) can utilize to great effect to accomplish this feat.

Most importantly, make sure every individual element of your game follows a theme. Having a consistent theme is a great way to keep players in the experience. If your story revolves around pirates, make sure that everything (everything!) works to strengthen the idea of "pirates" in your players' minds. Think about the following suggestions...

• Style all the menus and user interface after an old treasure map
• Use a cannonball firing off instead of the basic "confirm" sound effect
• Give all towns, ships, and characters traditional pirate names (even the minor ones!)
  
  

These are very simple touches that would go a long way towards establishing a consistent theme and an immersive experience. Every designer should sit down and come up with a whole list of them to work into their project.

Remember, even the slightest misstep could send your player right out of the experience! All your hard work on the strong elements of the game can be spoiled with one seemingly harmless mistake. It's just like theater at that point -- players will cease to care about the dramatic story elements unfolding and instead get caught up on the ugly inner-workings of the game.

Here are a few deadly mistakes you might not consider a big deal, but could potentially lead to players shutting down and abandoning your intended experience...

• GRAMMAR MISTAKES (if this is a weak point for you, or English is not your first language, have someone edit your dialogue!)
• Breaking the fourth wall (even in a satirical or parody game, be very cautious with this)
• Too many easter eggs / cameos (only use in moderation, if at all)
• "Fluff" titles (if the title of your game doesn't fit the content, players will exit the experience to question it)
• Feature creep (at a certain point, it's better to level off and stop adding new features or scripts)

So take a little bit of time and give it some thought... Our medium can be a powerful one for entertainment and storytelling, but so many amateur games in particular go nowhere due to simple oddities that break the player's experience. Make sure every little thing you do as a designer is intended to strengthen the theme of the game, and like a skilled actor onstage, weave an elaborate, convincing illusion for your audience.

Until next time, good luck with your projects!