Story is not a Verb: An Invitation to Rethink How We Tell Stories in Games [Devcom 2025]

Video games are an interactive medium, yet many of our most common storytelling tools—dialog, cutscenes, audio logs, notes—originate from more passive forms of media like film and literature. While these techniques can be powerful, they often ask the player to momentarily step back from interaction, which can impact the pacing or flow of the gameplay experience. In this talk, we’ll explore how stories can emerge from mechanics, systems, and player interaction. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and narrative psychology, we’ll examine how players perceive story in the first place—how our brains find meaning in patterns, consequences, and interaction. Afterwards we’ll analyze examples from games to see how they present a narrative through their unique systems and mechanics. This talk is an invitation to expand our narrative toolbox and build experiences that only games can deliver—without needing to imitate other forms of storytelling.