Narrative Design: Found Dialogue Prompt
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT • WORLD-BUILDING • DIALOGUE
COMPLETION TIME: ~30MIN
As part of a creative challenge, I developed two in-world dialogue pieces designed to be discovered by players in an exploration-based game based in an alien research lab in Canada. The prompt was intentionally open-ended, allowing for creative liberties in shaping the game’s world through environmental storytelling.
I crafted:
1. An Email Exchange – a written correspondence revealing character dynamics, past events, annd underlying tensions, offering players a narrative thread to follow.
2. A Call Transcript – a recorded or transcribed conversation capturing urgency, conflict, or revelation, designed to deepen immersion and hint at a larger unfolding story.
Both pieces introduced original characters, balancing clarity with ambiguity to encourage player interpretation. The goal was to create compelling fragments that enhance the game’s atmosphere, rewarding exploration with layered storytelling.
Character: Dr. Eva Moreno, 34 y.o. Cognitive Anthropologist, specializing in the psychological effects of extreme and isolated environments, but brought onto this project by The Company for unclear motives...
Premise: Below is an email from Eva to her wife Natalia. Eva has not yet been "under" to the caves; she first has to stay overnight on a base station above-ground, miles away from the drilling site, to get oriented. She has received limited intel on what exactly the project entails, but was intrigued by the reputation of both The Company and this secretive project.
Natalia,
We made it to base this afternoon, around 3pm. The plane ride was smooth and it's as beautiful here as they say. Even the crew's quarters are beautiful - stunning. So much better than the bunks at the Amazon station in Tambopata. But the kitchen? The kitchen looks just like the one in Peru, fully stocked with more than enough for the twelve of us (thirteen turned to twelve yesterday, apparently... Dr. Lincoln's out, but I haven't gotten the briefing on that whole situation yet). I tried to figure out how exactly we get the rations, even just where they come from- Madagascar, Brazil, whatever- but they were super weird about it. I mean, fresh mangoes in Antarctica?? It must be some sort of a security thing, or maybe they all actually knew nothing, but I'm still just left with more fruit than answers. The Company lives up to its reputation, that's for sure.
I head out to the project tomorrow, and then things get real. I'm still nervous, and yes, the rule about not bringing anxiety meds onto the ship was a real thing. They took them at the port and said "they'll have everything you need down there!"..... Like they didn't care that they were talking to the cognitive anthropologist with two PhDs in psych!!! I'm not sure what we've gotten ourselves into here, Nat. Not all of their rules seem to make sense... Is this just what happens when a company like The Coompany decides to dip their toes into a project like this??
I won't be able to write again until next week - something about limited bandwidth, but that was what we expected I guess... We'll get into all of it on the phone when I can.
I love you Natalia. Please tell Oliver that his momma's making her dreams come true, and that it's as beautiful here as they say.
Love,
Your Eva
CALL TRANSCRIPT
PREMISE: Below is a transcript of a phone call between Kate and John. These are two researchers who have been at this research center for some time and are beginning to question the mysterious happenings around them. John is currently on a mission nearby, while Kate is worried for their friend Olivia.
KATE: John..?
JOHN: Kate.
KATE: Olivia didn't answer the ping, I didn't know what else to do.
JOHN: What do you mean she-
KATE: She's gone, John. Nobody's seen her since last night. I think it's happening again.
JOHN: It's not happening again. Olivia's fine, she's probably doing what you asked her to do.
KATE: What I asked her to do did NOT involve leaving for this long.
JOHN: How the hell do you know? She is the only one of us who's equipped to do that job — we have no idea how long it'll take her to finish.
KATE: Don't you get it? That's the problem — there is no "finishing" this John! It's one thing after another, and if it's not this one, then -
JOHN: Kate, stop. I'm working on my end, and I'll come to you shortly.
KATE: Fine. I'm pinging her again. Be safe.
