Interactive Narrative Design | Task 1

|| Tee Zi Tong, 0366165

|| Interactive Narrative Design | Task 1   

|| Week 1 - Week 3

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK 1: INTERACTIVE NARRATIVE CONCEPT

Task 1 was an individual assignment that required me to develop and communicate an original concept for an interactive narrative. The proposal needed to include the story, characters, setting, player interactions, branching choices, flowchart and mood board.

For this task, I created an office-horror interactive narrative titled The Working Dead. The concept combines suspense, horror, rules and decision-making. Players must understand and follow the company's unusual rules to help the protagonist survive a night of working overtime.

Initial Idea and Theme

The Working Dead was inspired by rule-based horror stories in which an ordinary place becomes dangerous because of unusual instructions.

I selected an office because it is normally seen as a familiar and professional environment. By changing the lighting, atmosphere and events, I transformed it into an isolated and unsettling location.

The main themes are:

• Suspense
• Horror
• Survival
• Responsibility
• Rules and consequences
• Financial pressure
• Decision-making

Story Development

The story follows a young woman who accepts a job as an HR employee after seeing a high-paying job advertisement.

She needs the money because her mother is sick and requires medicine, her father is addicted to gambling, and her younger brother is still studying. Because of her family's financial situation, she accepts the job without investigating the company carefully.

To make a good impression on her manager, she decides to work overtime. However, when she is alone in the office, strange incidents begin to happen. The player must follow the company's rules, complete the work and leave the building safely.

The player experiences situations such as receiving a suspicious instruction, answering a strange phone call, trying to stay awake and finding a safe way to leave the office.

Rules

The Rules are an important part of the narrative because they provide clues for the player's decisions.

Examples include:

1. The player can only use the exit at an exact hour.
2. The employee must remain awake and calm.
3. The pantry is available when someone is working overtime.
4. The employee must not damage company property.
5. At night, the protagonist is the only person in the company.
6. The employee must obey the manager's instructions.
7. The period between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM is dangerous.
8. The employee should leave the company as soon as possible.

Following the correct Rules allows the player to continue. Breaking a Rule can lead to a Game Over outcome.

Character Design

The protagonist is a young office worker in her early twenties. She wears simple and professional office clothing. She looks slightly tired but continues trying to behave professionally.

Her personality is quiet, responsible and nervous. She accepts the suspicious job because she feels responsible for supporting her family.

The protagonist's family background gives her a believable motivation and helps the audience understand why she stays in a dangerous workplace.

World Setting and Mood

The story takes place in a dark and quiet office at night. The office contains employee desks, long corridors, meeting rooms, a pantry, a manager's office, file racks and an exit area.

The environment uses dark blue, grey and desaturated colors. Dim lighting, empty furniture and quiet spaces create an isolated and uncomfortable atmosphere.

Although the office appears normal, the visual mood suggests that something is wrong.

Player Interaction and Flowchart

I planned the story using a branching flowchart. Each situation presents the player with several possible choices.

For example, the player receives a note asking them to collect a file. Following the instruction allows the story to continue, while ignoring it leads to a bad ending.

Later, the protagonist receives a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be the manager. The player must remember that the protagonist is supposed to be the only person in the company at night.

The player's choices determine whether the protagonist continues to the next scene or receives a Game Over outcome.

Lecturer Feedback

The lecturer commented that the idea was strongly narrative-driven and suitable for an interactive experience. The lecturer also liked the idea of requiring players to follow the Rules when making decisions.

However, the lecturer suggested adding more information at the beginning to explain why the main character would accept the job.

Based on this feedback, I developed the main character's family background. Her financial responsibilities give her a stronger reason to accept the high-paying job despite the suspicious conditions.

FINAL OUTCOME

Link to Slide Version: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vx8nrW4isuXh6f_Adnp73S1uvM6L5nV_/view?usp=sharing

Link to Docs Version: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10NR6Uuq57jhwvnmNaKWaPyt8p5wXZeZp/view?usp=drive_link

REFLECTIONS

Experience

Task 1 gave me the opportunity to develop an original interactive narrative independently. I enjoyed creating the horror concept, writing the Rules and planning the different consequences.

The most challenging part was ensuring that the story was not only interesting but also suitable for player interaction.

Observations

I observed that player choices need to be connected clearly to the story. If choices do not have consequences, the experience becomes too linear.

I also realized that the protagonist originally lacked a strong reason to accept the suspicious job. Without this information, the audience might question her decision.

Findings

I learned that character motivation is important for making a narrative believable. Adding the family background strengthened the emotional context of the story.

I also learned that the Rules could function as both storytelling information and gameplay clues. This concept became the main foundation for the following tasks.