Basics of Interactive Design
IN THIS LESSON
Why settle for one-time reads when game mechanics can give your content endless replay value?
With interactive storytelling, your fans don’t just consume—they engage, replay, and support you directly. This is more than just telling a story; it's about building a community that fuels your success.
With Dorian, your creativity can unlock real earnings and reach more fans than ever before.
Watch the video above or scroll down to learn how to use interactive to tell your story!
What if you could choose what happened to your favorite characters?
That’s the fantasy you’re providing for your fans when you create interactive. Your fans get to control their character’s actions, desires, sexualities, and tastes through choices that you design.
Let’s look at an example. What if in this scene, Barbie didn’t say “Ken’s not cool”?
What if, instead, the player could choose how she reacts?
She could react rudely and tell him to stop worrying
She could be sweet and recognize his insecurity
What other reactions can you think of?
Turn your stories into games that will capture the hearts of Dorian fans!
If you’re accustomed to writing longform prose, you may find it challenging to understand when to use narration or description in this format. We’re here to help!
Remember, Dorian is a visual medium! You don’t need to describe settings or characters because they’ll be on screen. Try to imagine you have to make every word count and communicate something essential about your game. Looking for a fast guide on what to watch out for? Check the image below!
Turning Prose into Interactive: Examples
Let’s look at some popular Booktok scenes to show how they could be turned into Interactive Game scenes.
A fantasy meet not-so-cute
Let your character art and dialogue make the first impression.
FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros
The first scene where Violet meets Xaden Riorson is full of tension and sensual description, but this would be far too much exposition for Dorian. Plus, don’t you think Violet’s first line to Xaden could be a bit more fun?
A vast world… with not so many words
Communicate the essential details of your world through dialogue and action.
A COURT OF THORNS & ROSES by Sara J Maas
ACOTAR starts with a fantastic inciting event, but the author needs the reader to understand a lot about the setting and society to grasp what’s happening. You might be tempted to communicate similar walls of text in your game, but let’s look at how you could communicate this through interaction and dialogue on Dorian!
