Storytellers

What This Team Does

The Storytellers create the world, tone, characters, and overall direction of the game.
Every other team depends on the Storytellers to know what exists in the game and why.
Your job is to build a clear and exciting foundation so artists, sound designers, and developers know exactly what they are creating.

Storytellers decide the vision.
Everyone else brings that vision to life.

What Storytellers Must Create

Below is the complete set of narrative assets your team is responsible for building.
These should be written clearly and shared with all teams so they can immerse themselves in the world before producing art, sound, or code.

1. World Overview

A one-paragraph summary that describes the world the player explores.
This should include:
• The general setting (forest, island, mountains, cozy town, ruins, etc.)
• The tone (cozy, adventurous, mysterious, light action, etc.)
• The overall purpose of the player’s journey

2. Main Story Goal

A simple statement explaining what the player is trying to achieve.
Examples:
• Restore balance to a magical forest
• Explore a forgotten island and uncover its secrets
• Help townspeople rebuild after a storm
• Find missing artifacts to open a final area

This goal guides all gameplay, art, sound, and code decisions.

3. Key Locations

A list of the major areas in the game, each with a short description.
This is essential for both Art Teams and Sound Designers.

Each location should include:
• Name of the area
• What it looks like
• What it sounds like
• How it feels
• What the player might do there

Examples:
• Forest Path: warm light, fallen leaves, gentle wind, used for early exploration
• Mountain Edge: snowy, quiet, wind-heavy, used for challenge and discovery
• Town Square: cozy, friendly, soft music, used for player interaction

4. Characters

Storytellers must define the key characters, including:
• The main character (who the player controls)
• Important NPCs
• Any creatures or friendly companions

For each character, provide:
• Name
• Personality
• Purpose in the story
• Visual cues for the artists
• Voice or sound cues for the sound team
• Any unique movements or interactions for developers

5. Items and Objects

A list of the items that exist in the world.
These should be clear enough for artists to design and for sound designers to create FX for.

Include both functional items and world flavor items:
• Tools
• Collectibles
• Keys or quest items
• Magical objects
• Everyday objects the player may interact with

For each item, describe:
• What it does
• Where it is found
• How the player uses it

6. Tone and Atmosphere Guide

A short guide describing the overall feeling of the game.
This helps artists pick the right colors, and sound designers choose the right mood.

Include:
• Color palette ideas (soft, warm, earthy, bright, dark, etc.)
• Music mood (calm, adventurous, mysterious)
• World energy level (slow, cozy, magical, lively, quiet)

7. Gameplay Moments

List the important story moments or player experiences that shape the game.

These moments help:
• Developers know what interactions to build
• Sound Designers know what effects or music changes to prepare

Examples:
• Discovering a new area
• Meeting an important character
• Solving a puzzle
• Finding a magical item
• Entering a new region with a different mood

8. Quest or Task Ideas

Small task concepts that guide gameplay.
These help the developers and art teams understand what the player actually does.

Examples:
• Collect materials to repair something
• Help a character find a lost item
• Unlock an area by solving a puzzle
• Explore an environment to learn its history

These do NOT have to be fully written quests — they just need to support the world.

9. Team Communication Responsibilities

Storytellers must communicate clearly with other teams by:
• Updating the PMs when a new feature/location is added
• Confirming which ideas are official for the game
• Sharing a written version of all assets listed on this page
• Keeping the scope realistic

If a feature is not confirmed by the Storytellers, other teams should not build it.