story world

Real time story where the Author populates a rich environment for the Player to connect events but it’s up to the Player to envision the storyline.

<— Immersive story | Narrative game —>

Further explanation

A story world is an environment where elements of a larger story have been incorporated – Disneyland, WoW, etc. Sandbox mode in games is equivalent to a story world. This is best exemplified by Grand Theft Auto as described by David Edery and Ethan Mollick in their book Changing the Game.

These games, like a sandbox full of toys, encourage players to experiment with their environment, without being constrained to a specific plotline or course of action. In the case of GTA3 and its sequels, the “sandbox” is an entire virtual city full of realistic-looking buildings, vehicles, and people.

A story world provides the pieces a story can be created from and may include an overlying story, but it’s still up to the player to provide the storyline on a granular level. It’s a sandbox full of toys, you add story as you did with your Tonka trucks as a child.