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Artwork for Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast

Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast

inkle
Narrative Design
Game Narrative Kaleidoscope
Shadows Of Doubt
Assassin's Creed
Miles Morales
Player Co-Author
Procedural Generation
Black Flag
Naughty Dog
Spotlight On Stark Holborn
Inkle
The Chinese Room
Gamergate
Authenticity In Games
Focus Testing / Npcs With Narrative Utility
The Last Of Us Part II
Dialogue Systems
World Building

Join hosts Jon Ingold (inkle) and Sagar Beroshi (The Chinese Room) in conversation with authors from the Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, as they discuss all aspects of the craft of interactive writing and narrative design.

Find out more about the Kaleidoscope at inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes10Founded2 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
GamesLeisure

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Artwork for Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast

Latest Episodes

Perfectionists Hate This One Simple Trick

We talk with Jill Murray (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Subnautica: Below Zero, Assassin’s Creed: Liberation) about how she gets things finished. If you write for your ideal audience member, can you manifest t... more

Cite Your Sources!

Historian and game writer Holly Nielsen (Amberspire, Neurocracy) joins us to discuss ambiguous worldbuilding and the use of biased and unreliable narrators in historical sources. Should your world have a solid foundation? Or is e... more

A Smorgasbord

Join us as narrative expert Ian Thomas from The Chinese Room expands the boundaries of story design. What can computer RPGs learn from a live-action roleplaying game set in the world of The Three Musketeers? And how do we encourage pl... more

Microbranching: Big Reactivity with Small Effort

We're joined by Kate Gray (Moonstone Island, Hello Kitty Island Adventure) who tells us about microbranching in dialogue. Small decisions without long-term impacts can free up the player to funnier i... more

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Recent Guests

Holly Nielsen
Game writer, narrative designer and historian
Independent / Kaleidoscope contributor
Episode: Episode 8: Holly Nielsen
Ian Thomas
Narrative director at The Chinese Room
The Chinese Room
Episode: Episode 7: Ian Thomas
Kate Gray
Writer, journalist, and game narrative designer
Independent / Nintendo Life contributor
Episode: Episode 6: Kate Gray
Stark Holborn
Novelist and games writer; lead narrative writer on Shadows of Doubt; author
Shadows of Doubt, Hopetown, Nunslinger
Episode: Episode 5: Stark Holborn
Josh Scherr
Game narrative design consultant, former Naughty Dog narrative lead
Cautionary Tales
Episode: Episode 4: Josh Scherr
Mary Kenney
Senior writer and narrative director in video games
Marvel's Spider-Man Miles Morales; Marvel's Wolverine; The Walking Dead Season 4 (Telltale)
Episode: Episode 3: Mary Kenney
Sagar Beroshi
Narrative designer and writer, The Chinese Room
The Chinese Room
Episode: Episode 1: Sagar Beroshi
Darby McDevitt
Narrative director and lead writer on Assassin's Creed Black Flag
Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed)
Episode: Episode 2: Darby McDevitt

Hosts

Sagar Beroshi
Narrative designer and writer affiliated with The Chinese Room; co-host and frequent guest on game narrative discussions.
Jon Ingold
Narrative designer and writer, affiliated with Inkle; co-host bringing industry experience from narrative-led adventures.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 8 ratings
  • The Art and Craft of Game Narrative

    Just a few episodes in, but this is already an essential listen for writers interested or involved in games. Two knowledgeable hosts interviewing a writer in a focused, in-depth interview on their work and techniques. No fuss, no distraction, just an informative conversation to sit in on.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cerandor2
    Irelanda month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, craft-forward discussions with practical takeaways for writers.
Hosts keep conversations focused on process and technique rather than hype.
High-quality interviews with deep dives into narrative design and dialogue systems.
Guests span AAA and indie, offering broad perspective on game narratives.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#150
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#10
Brazil/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#37
Ireland/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#43
Brazil/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#58
Ukraine/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#83
Mexico/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 8: Holly Nielsen
Q: What are the practical considerations for balancing macro world-building with micro details that players will actually notice?
Focus on what players will see and experience; avoid overloading with every possible detail and instead use small, meaningful cues, like an emblem or a fragment of lore, to signal larger context. Collaboration with directors, producers, and historians helps keep the balance and prevents rabbit holes.
Episode 8: Holly Nielsen
Q: How does Neurocracy illustrate the ideas of cited sources and multiple layers of information in a playable way?
Neurocracy is an ARG-like game with a near-future fictional Wikipedia that gets updated weekly by multiple writers. Citing sources and footnotes lets players see different perspectives and understand how editing decisions shape the tone and interpretation, illustrating plausible deniability and the complexity of information.
Episode 8: Holly Nielsen
Q: Could you please introduce your article and briefly outline what it is that you said?
The article argues for the value of citing sources within game flavor text and other information to add two layers of information, enrich the world, and provide a plausible deniability when information is wrong or context is different. It also discusses how separating developer voice from game voice helps prevent a perceived infallibility of the creators.
Episode 6: Kate Gray
Q: So could you please, your article was called Microbranching Big Reactivity with Small Effort. What's your argument? What's your concept?
The concept argues for expressive, in-the-moment responses to player input that feel reactive without requiring massive branching trees; microbranches provide flavor and individuality while keeping the core narrative tight and accessible.
Episode 2: Darby McDevitt
Q: What role does the 'obligatory scene' play in game storytelling, and how can developers use it without becoming predictable?
The obligatory scene should hint at a larger narrative question that the gameplay can't fully answer, keeping true drama alive; it should be used to propel curiosity rather than deliver a predictable outcome.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast

What is Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-docused series exploring interactive writing and narrative design for games, featuring long-form conversations with seasoned writers and narrative directors from notable studios. Episodes repeatedly examine how player agency, author intent, and production constraints shape dialogue, world-building, and pacing, with practical tips on blockouts, writing under word limits, and balancing emergent storytelling with a structured narrative. Noteworthy is the mix of AAA and indie perspectives, plus guests who bring hands-on experience from high-profile projects and a willingness to discuss industry challenges like harassment, audience trust, and collaboration within writers' rooms.

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Which podcasts are similar to Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast:

1. Post Games
2. Triple Click
3. Side Story
4. Shelved By Genre
5. Shut Up & Sit Down

How many episodes of Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast are there?

Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast launched 2 months ago and published 10 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast?

Recent guests on Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast include:

1. Holly Nielsen
2. Ian Thomas
3. Kate Gray
4. Stark Holborn
5. Josh Scherr
6. Mary Kenney
7. Sagar Beroshi
8. Darby McDevitt

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