Enlightening and engaging, Tom Battey’s (senior lecturer for Games Design at Sheffield Hallam University) talk was a treat for newcomer and expert alike. Delving into the challenges of writing interactive fiction, Tom walked the audience through how one might (and indeed, how developers already have) tackled them.

At the core of Tom’s talk was the linchpin of the medium: player choice. Variation, weight, stakes, and planning were all key components in this vast machine. Anticipating what choices players would like to make while creating believable outcomes underpinned this. However, Tom was careful to stress that we must know where to draw the line, for a narrative cannot be infinite. Citing his own partial adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which puts the player in the shoes of the fairies casting love spells on the main characters to change their relationship dynamics in rapid succession. It was clear the sheer amount of work that a narrative designer must put in. Knowing when to expand versus constrict the storytelling was acknowledged to be of paramount importance.

Everything was delivered with a casual but focused discussion. Never once dry, the sprinkling of humour throughout never subtracted from the informative aspect. The accompanying presentation never felt like a crutch, but rather a visual aid to the audience.

What truly stood out was Tom’s emphasis on people getting involved. He not only gave advice, but outlined how accessible writing game narratives can be. With a variety of examples, from mainstream titles like Persona 5 (2016) to independent projects such as Saltsea Chronicles (2023). The possibilities of the medium seemed practically endless.

The Q&A section was also commendable. Questions ranged from the growing factor of AI to ‘trusting your audience’ to the demographics of gamers, but each was tackled with an earnest thoroughness. Tom’s responses were a testament to his depth of research.  I particularly enjoyed his honesty in admitting that sometimes you must limit the scope of your narrative simply because of how much work is required if you aim too high.

Overall, despite the talk’s premise focusing on complexities, Tom made the topic digestible without sacrificing content. I would definitely attend another in future.