Telltale’s The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us are part of what drew us to episodic games. We enjoyed following their stories, getting attached to their characters, and waiting to find out what happened next.
But we also wanted more freedom. The structure could feel familiar from one scene to another, with similar actions available and limited room to explore beyond what the story required.
They had the feeling of a TV show, but not quite the freedom we wanted from a game.
We chose episodic storytelling because we want to bring those two things together. A story that gives you a reason to return, and a world that gives you room to explore and make decisions at your own pace.
The time between episodes
There is something special about following a series while it is being released. An episode ends, and you have to sit with it for a while. You think about what happened, talk about it with other people, and wonder what comes next.
A game released all at once can create suspense too. But when you want an answer, you can often keep playing until you get it. The point where you stop is usually up to you.
Releasing episodes separately gives us another way to shape that experience. We can choose where a chapter ends and which questions remain open until the next release. Within the episode, you still decide where to go and how to spend your time.
That does not mean stopping the story whenever it gets interesting. Each episode needs to be satisfying in its own right, while giving you something to look forward to.
Room to respond
Episodes also let us respond while the story is still developing.
That includes responding to the decisions players make. Working on a smaller chapter gives us a more contained set of situations to develop, with room to consider how those decisions should affect what comes next.
It does not make branching stories simple. We still need to remember what happened and make the consequences believable. But we can develop later episodes with a better understanding of how people experienced the earlier ones.
The same applies to feedback. If something frustrates players, or they want more opportunities to explore a particular part of the world, we can consider that while making the next episode. We do not have to wait until our next game.
We still have a story to tell. Listening does not mean following every suggestion. It means paying attention and being willing to adjust.
Returning to a familiar world
We want players to get to know a place over time. To recognize its streets, remember the people who live there, and return with some history between them.
A conversation can feel different when you remember what happened the last time you spoke. A familiar street can become interesting again because something has changed.
That is what we want from episodic storytelling. The anticipation of another chapter, the freedom to explore, and the opportunity to spend more time with a world and the people in it.