| CODE | IDG5152 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Games and Narrative | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute of Digital Games | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers a focused engagement with theoretical, critical and practical issues regarding writing and narrative in games. Students will initially be given an introduction to the concepts, techniques and critical apparata of narratological analysis, considering both classical narratology and attempts at developing an interactive narratology. The study-unit will then lead students to apply this critical toolkit to an investigation of various dimensions of narrative as they apply to games - including character, point--of-view, narrative worlds and story and plot structure. The ways these are manifested in game narratives shall be examined by means of an application of relevant critical work in both narratology and game studies to sustained critical analysis of relevant games. The study-unit shall aim to actively engage students in applying the analytical tools and models encountered during the lectures in a series of practical narrative design exercises. The course鈥檚 orientation is practical and creative as well as theoretical, leading up to students working on a short interactive fiction piece that implements both the theory and the practical approaches covered during the study-unit. Study-unit Aims: - Introduce students to the conceptuality and methodology of narratological analysis; - Familiarize students with contemporary theoretical work and debates surrounding the issue of narrative in games; - Provide students with an overview of the historical development and formal range of narrative structures and approaches in games; - Familiarize students with practices of writing and narrative design for games; - Create a short interactive fiction piece incorporating the theory and practices covered in the study-unit. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will: - Be able to demonstrate a solid knowledge of narratological theory and conceptuality; - Have an understanding of the constituent elements and dimensions of narrative; - Be able to identify and analyze narrative structures, techniques and elements as they apply to games; - Have an awareness of the specific formal and practical challenges involved in writing for games; - Have an understanding of the basic principles of designing for interactive narrative 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Perform a complete, structured narrative analysis of any game; - Engage in sustained practical analysis and criticism of game narratives; - Apply the toolset of narratological analysis to the study of narratives in other media; - Put their practical knowledge of narrative structure to use in the design of narratives for games and interactive fiction; - Apply the conceptual tools of narrative design in practical game development scenarios; - Participate in, and contribute to, active academic debates surrounding issues of narrative in games. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Nicklin, H. 2022. Writing for Games: Theory and Practice. CRC Press. - Rimmon-Kenan, S. 1983. Narrative Fiction. London: Routledge. - Ryan, M.L. 2015. Narrative as Virtual Reality 2. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Additional papers and book chapters will be provided electronically during the study-unit. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Krista Bonello Rutter Giappone Daniel Vella (Co-ord.) |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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