lnteractive Narrative Design-Project 2
Huang jiaqi| 0373820
Interactive Narrative Design | Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Module Information
Lecture
- Download Editor (Windows):
Week 9 | Topic 7 - Building Assets for Interactive Novel Game
Project
Project 2 Summary: Interactive Narrative Scriptwriting Preparation
Project Objective
In Project 2, I will take the proposal I constructed in Project 1 - Dreamwalker: The Mystery of the Soul Spread - and expand it into a full interactive script. This project requires the integration of non-linear structure, branching choices, character dialogue and emotional progression into a logical, actionable script format with multiple endings and interactive nodes.
The central challenge of the project was to maintain plot appeal and emotional tension while providing structural coherence between branches and rationalising the consequences of choices.
Project Requirements (Instructions)
In order to complete the script, I will follow the following points:
Script Format
Use a professional interactive script format
Clearly label scenes (time/place), characters, dialogue, player choices
Use jump commands (e.g. → Go to Scene 2A)
Basic Content Requirements
At least 3 key decision points
At least 2 different endings (e.g. Freedom/Dilemma, Return/Return/Elimination)
At least one ‘dialogue branching scene’ with 2-3 different response paths Clear consequences of choices (e.g. relationship points, belief preferences, hidden plot points) At least one ‘dialogue branching scene’ with 2-3 different response paths
Explicit consequences of choices (e.g. relationship points, belief preferences, hidden storylines)
An additional flowchart / branching map showing the overall flow of the story
Optional interactive elements
Timing choices / POV switching / sound cues / dynamic UI behaviour etc.
Interface annotations, music atmospheres, variable descriptions, etc. can add to immersion Immersion
Project Period: Week 7-Week 10
Over the course of a few weeks, I took the interactive proposal constructed in Project 1 and actually turned it into a complete, well-branched interactive script. The process was challenging and allowed me to grow tremendously in my creative skills and structured writing.
Index of Story Islands
A1: Tarot Tower (Start)
Summary: The Dreamwalker awakens in a mystical tower surrounded by floating tarot cards. Each card represents a dream—a path to understanding their own soul through the lives of others.
B1: The Lovers (Major Decision Point)
Summary: In a snow-covered seaside town at twilight, a young painter must choose between love and artistic ambition.
C1: The Hermit (Major Decision Point)
Summary: A philosopher lives in isolation within a floating library. Should he return to society or continue to hide from the world?
D1: The Fool (Major Decision Point)
Summary: A boy stands at the edge of a floating path, afraid to step forward. The Dreamwalker must guide him: leap or wait?
E1: The Mirror Corridor (Final Ending)
Summary: At the tower's core, the Dreamwalker confronts reflections of every choice they made, leading to one of three possible philosophical endings.
General overview of the script structure：
Starting point: A1 The Tower of Tarot
The Dreamwalker wakes up among the floating tarot cards
The player chooses a card and enters a different dream world
Three Major Decision Points
B1: The Lovers card: choose love or dream
B2: Chase the dream → +1 Freedom
B3: Leave love behind → +1 Emotion
C1: The Hermit card: choose return or seclusion C2: Come out of the island → +1 Courage C3: Stay in the library → +1 Introspection C1: The Hermit card: choose Return or Hermitage
C2: Come out of the Island → +1 Courage
C3: Stay in the Library → +1 Introspection
D1: The Fool card: choose Adventure or Wait
D2: Leap into the Unknown → +1 Faith
D3: Wait in Silence → +1 Caution
The Conclusion: E1 The Hall of Mirrors
3 types of cards will be unlocked based on the player's cumulative choices. The Mirror's Corridor Unlocks 3 philosophical endings based on the player's cumulative choices:
Ascension: Freedom + Conviction high → Become a traveller of light who guides the dreams of others
Reflection: Emotion + Introspection high → Become a new dream guardian
Cycle: Average values → Forget everything and the journey begins again
A1: Tarot Tower (Start)
↓
┌──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
↓ ↓ ↓
B1: The Lovers C1: The Hermit D1: The Fool
↓ ↓ ↓
┌─────┴─────┐ ┌────┴─────┐ ┌────┴──────┐
↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
B2: Follow B3: Stay C2: Return C3: Remain D2: Leap D3: Wait
Dream (+1) for Love to Society Isolated of Faith & Observe
(Freedom) (+1 Emotion) (+1 Courage) (+1 Introspection) (+1 Faith) (+1 Caution)
└──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┘
↓
E1: Mirror Chamber (Final Reflection)
Character Summary ：
1. Caelis
The Dream Guide, also known as the Dreamwalker, is the player's avatar character.
Character traits: Calm, gentle, and intuitive. Despite losing his memory, he instinctively wants to help others.
Emotional Image:
Neutral: calmly observing the world
Smiling: responding to warm images or hope
Gentleness: apparent when comforting others
Contemplation: when confronted with philosophical questions or fragments of one's own memories
2. Lia (Lia)
A painter appearing in the dreamscape of The Lovers, caught in a dilemma between love and ideals.
Character traits: sensitive, passionate, longing for freedom but afraid of loss.
Emotional Characteristics:
Sad: Facing the decision of parting
Happy: Choosing to stay and create a life with her lover
Serious: Thinking about the future alone and facing inner conflicts
3. Rowan
Lia's lover is gentle and firm, representing a sense of ‘security’ and ‘belonging’. "Rowan
Character traits: tolerant, mature, a pillar of emotional stability for Lia.
Emotional image:
Smile: supportive and understanding, encourages Lia at critical moments.
4. Elias
The Hermit The philosopher in the dream world, who has been in a deep state of reflection and loneliness.
Personality traits: wise, deep, with a tendency to escape reality.
Emotional images:
Neutral: silent in his everyday state
Confident: ready to leave the library and return to reality
Calm: accepts loneliness and chooses to remain alone
5. Aeron (Allen)
The Fool The teenager in the dream world who stands on the verge of the first jumps in life.
Personality traits: naive, timid, eager for change but afraid of the unknown.
Emotional images:
Worry: afraid to take the first step
Happy: success in jumping and freedom
Calm: waiting and trusting time to give the answer
Summary of the background of the scene
1. Tarot Tower
The place where the Dreamwalker awakens, the starting point of the dream world and the centre of the intersection of destinies.
Visual Description: Surrounded by purple light, glowing tarot cards are suspended in the air. The round dome is as deep as the universe, and the floor reflects the stars like a mirror.
Ambience: Mysterious, philosophical, surreal, serene and awe-inspiring.
2. Twilight Snow Town
A scene from the dream world of The Lovers, where the painter lives.
Visual Description: Snowflakes rise against the sky, the town is quiet, with warm orange light coming from the windows. An old painting studio sits on the seafront, with the departing train in the distance.
Atmosphere: romantic, sad, nostalgic, with a sense of conflict between parting and ideals.
3. Floating Library
A dream scene from The Hermit, a philosopher's hermitage.
Visual Description: In a zero-gravity environment, ancient books float slowly in the air, and on the wall is a symbol array made up of stars and mathematical totems. Every time a book is opened, it is as if the stars are awakened.
Atmosphere: Silence, intellectuality, cosmic sense, a labyrinth of thoughts as deep as the night.
4. Cloud Path
The Fool's dreamscape, symbolising the edge of ‘the beginning of life’.
Visual description: A transparent ladder floats in the sky, ending in a foggy abyss. A whale swims slowly through the clouds overhead, and the first step is invisible underfoot.
Vibe: Fairytale-like, hazy, dreamy, with a slight uneasiness intertwined with hope.
5. Mirror Corridor
The final chapter scene, an inner place where the Dreamwalker looks back on all his choices.
Visual Description: Mirrors rise up around the Dreamwalker in a spiral tower, each reflecting a different version of his past self - firm, timid, gentle, lonely versions.
Atmosphere: Philosophical, self-analysing, quiet and shocking, the end of the dream world and the entrance to the heart.
Emotionally Driven Dialogue Creation：
In the script I tried to give each character's dialogue an emotional weight and avoid pure narrative. For example:
The Fool says, ‘What if I jump and there's nothing left?’
→ Dreamwalker responds, ‘Sometimes falling is the way to take off.’
Each answer hides Dreamwalker's own unfinished psychological journey - making the script a gradually pieced-together self-portrait of a dream.
visual reference：
fig 1.1 visual reference
fig 1.2 visual reference
fig 1.3 visual reference
Week 10 – Completion and Submission of Project 2: Scriptwriting
Week 10 marked the completion and formal submission of Project 2: Writing Script for Interactive Narrative, based on the interactive narrative proposal I developed in Project 1 titled The Dreamwalker: Arcana of the Soul.
Over the past few weeks, I had been progressively drafting and refining different scenes, branching choices, and dialogue trees. This week, my main goal was to organise everything into a coherent, well-structured PDF document, complete with a branching flowchart and polished script content.
Structure of Submission PDF
Project 2 deepened my understanding of interactive storytelling beyond theory—into actual scripting and implementation. It challenged me to think like both a writer and a designer, balancing clarity, emotion, and interactivity. I'm proud of the narrative structure I’ve created and am looking forward to exploring visual or playable formats in the next phase.
Feedback
My mentor found my overall concept to be very imaginative and emotionally resonant, particularly the exploration of identity through the metaphors of ‘tarot cards’ and ‘dreams’.
The branching structure of the story is clear and logical, and the use of ‘memory fragments’ as a feedback mechanism for decision-making is also considered to have enhanced the depth of the narrative.
In terms of suggestions, the teacher hoped that I could further enrich some of the dialogues to increase the emotional tension between the characters. In addition, the stylistic unity of the visual references was also recognised.
Reflection
This project was my first attempt at actually writing a complete interactive narrative structure into a professional script format. The writing was much more focused on detail, pacing and logic than the previous concept stage, and I gained a number of valuable lessons from it.
From Concept to Text: Concretising the Abstract
I realised that turning an idea into a playable script is not about “copying the imagination”, it's about refining the idea in depth. Every dream, every character cannot be just ‘beautiful imagery’, but needs to serve the whole narrative structure and theme. I've learnt to start from the main thread, and let each strand ‘echo’ the inner growth of the character, while forming a circular psychological experience.
The Challenges and Joys of Branching Out
Writing an interactive screenplay is different from a linear novel in that it's complicated: every choice must make sense and not undermine the main theme or character motivation. I often have to keep revising so that both choices have ‘plausibility’ and ‘philosophical value’ rather than a clear ‘good choice/bad choice’. It's the part where I put the most effort into being ‘free to decide’ rather than ‘guided by the script’.
Dialogue and Characterisation Enhancement
When writing each dream character, I had to make their voices unique and project the ‘dreamwalker's own emotions’. For example, Lia's struggle is a mapping of the protagonist's ‘emotions and ideals’. In this process, I realised that each character's conflict is actually a split within the protagonist. This gave me a clearer understanding of how ‘symbolic characters’ are constructed and how dialogue can be used to convey multiple layers of meaning.
Growth in Technical and Structural Awareness
This project also strengthened my understanding of the technical structure of the script. Terms like ‘jump commands,’ ‘branching tags,’ and ‘variable logging’ were no longer theoretical, but became tools that I had to be familiar with in the real world of writing. By designing three endings, I also learnt how to make the endings echo the choices and close the loop. This gives me a more solid textual foundation to build on when doing future development for Ren'Py or other interactive narrative platforms.
. Emotional Expression and Philosophical Depth
I tried to make Dreamwalker not only a plot quest, but also a ‘spiritual dialogue’. My favourite part of the game is the final corridor of mirrors, where the player is no longer confronted with multiple choice questions, but rather a ‘spiritual portrait’ of their past choices. This structure made me realise that good interactive narratives are not just fun, but also resonate with people, even after the game is over, thinking: "Who am I? What do I believe?"
Future thoughts
In the future I'd like to visualise the script and try to create a working demo through Ren'Py, Twine or Unity, and I'd also like to try to allow the player to ‘collect memory fragments’ and even unlock hidden dreams. This will be a challenge that combines visual design and narrative programming. I would also like to research more literature on psychological narratives and player empathy, so that the interaction is not just a click, but a deep sensory experience.
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