134: Striving for Imperfection with Jon Ingold (A Highland Song)
Feb 24, 2024
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Jon Ingold, co-founder of Inkle Studios and brain behind narrative gems like 80 Days and Heaven's Vault, joins to delve into his latest adventure, A Highland Song. He discusses how the game allows players to 'fail forward' in a unique narrative structure. The conversation reveals insights into the development of Ink, a scripting language transforming storytelling in games. Jon also shares his motivations behind creating immersive landscapes and the intricate mechanics that deepen player engagement, all while emphasizing the evolution of narrative-driven experiences.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of organic narrative exploration, allowing players to engage meaningfully with their surroundings and create their own paths.
It highlights the duality of scale in A Highland Song, where vast landscapes evoke both a sense of freedom and vulnerability in players.
Death is redefined as a narrative device rather than a punitive mechanic, enriching player experience through introspection and resilience.
Deep dives
Exploration and Narrative Design in Game Development
The podcast discusses the intricacies of game design, with a focus on how narrative can drive exploration within a game. The developers emphasize the importance of creating a game world that encourages players to engage with their surroundings, discover hidden narratives, and forge their own paths. A key insight is that narrative exploration should feel organic, allowing players to experience both the challenges and rewards of their journey. This approach challenges traditional narrative structures by making player decisions impactful rather than simply steering them toward a predetermined outcome.
The Concept of Scale in Game Worlds
The importance of scale is highlighted as a central theme in the design of a Highland Song, where players experience both a sense of freedom in vast landscapes and the vulnerability of being lost. This duality makes players feel small within the grand world while also providing a sense of capability. Through mechanics like rhythm-based climbing and environmental storytelling, the game conveys the physical and emotional journeys of players. This creative balance allows for a dynamic experience, immersing players in the surreal landscapes that reflect the character's internal struggles.
Player Control and Agency
The discussion touches on the tension between player control and the designed experience of a game. Developers recognize that while players often want guidance through visual cues to navigate, it's also essential for them to feel the inherent struggle of exploration. The game is designed to foster a sense of discovery where players can make choices without always knowing the right answer, ultimately allowing them to learn and adapt as they progress. This encourages deeper engagement with the game's mechanics and narrative, shifting the focus from mere completion to meaningful interactions.
The Role of Death and Stakes in Gameplay
Death is presented as a pivotal mechanic in Highland Song, but its implementation diverges from traditional punitive systems found in many games. Instead of serving as a setback, death functions as a narrative device that emphasizes the protagonist's persistence and resilience. Players often find that encounters with death lead to valuable moments of introspection and storytelling, enriching their experience. This fresh approach allows players to understand the stakes in a unique way, maintaining their motivation without feeling overwhelmingly punished for failure.
Embracing the Unknown: The Exploration of Themes
Themes of exploration, self-discovery, and the allure of the unexpected are explored throughout the podcast. Developers aim to create game experiences that challenge players' expectations of adventure, encouraging them to embrace uncertainty as a core component of gameplay. The narrative weaves through various emotional landscapes, prompting players to confront their fears and desires as they journey through unfamiliar territories. This thematic exploration reinforces the idea that the essence of adventure is not just about reaching the end but about the transformation that occurs along the way.
The Value of Open Source in Game Development
The conversation also delves into the advantages of open-sourcing the ink narrative scripting language, allowing other developers to create engaging narrative experiences. By making ink accessible for free, the reach and influence of the tool have expanded significantly, fostering a community of creators. This decision reflects a commitment to enhancing storytelling in games, facilitating collaboration, and encouraging innovation in narrative design. The positive impact of making ink available to emerging developers underscores the belief that well-crafted narratives can elevate the gaming experience for players worldwide.
We're joined by Jon Ingold, co-founder of Inkle Studios (80 Days, Heaven's Vault) to discuss A Highland Song - a wild adventure through the Scottish Highlands. We chat about creating narrative-driven games without a critical path, allowing players to fail forward, and the origins of Inkle's beloved narrative scripting language, ink.