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Slay the Dragon: Writing Great Video Games
Writing for the multibillion-dollar video-game industry is unlike writing for any other medium. "Slay the Dragon" will help you understand the challenges and offer creative solutions to writing for a medium where the audience not only demands a great story, but to be a driving force within it. Aimed at traditional writers who want to learn interactive narrative as well as game creators who want to tell better, more emotionally involving stories, the book is written by two creative veterans of both Hollywood and "Nerdyhood." Through lively discussions and self-paced-exercises, Bryant and Giglio step you such topics as: the "no-act" structure of video games; writing great game characters; making gameplay emotionally meaningful; and bringing your game world alive.
225 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
82 people are currently reading
442 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 15, 2020
É um livro simples, escrito por criadores para criadores. Não há lugar ao aprofundamento conceptual típico dos livros académicos, por outro lado os conselhos são muito práticos e próximos do modus operandi da indústria.
Se por vezes parece superficial é mera impressão já que são apresentadas muito boas referências e discutidas abordagens que servirão quem está interessado na escrita de narrativa para jogos.
Se por vezes parece superficial é mera impressão já que são apresentadas muito boas referências e discutidas abordagens que servirão quem está interessado na escrita de narrativa para jogos.
January 28, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this. Let me just put that out there. While some of the material may have been a bit basic, I didn’t go in expecting a thorough research analysis of what is expected in writing for video games. This book is great for what it is: a book explaining the essential foundational components needed for all successful, story-driven video games.
Some of my favorite highlights of the book include:
- Games are interactive whereas movies aren’t. Thus, the player must always be advancing the story, meaning the stories normally are much longer than in movies to account for more gameplay. Where movies are around 3 acts long on average, a video game may include 4 acts with 2 sequences in each.
- At each “level”, the goal of the protagonist must be explicitly noted and must advance the story in some way.
- Characters must be compelling and each have an arc throughout the story. Compelling characters have flaws they must overcome (which is why it is argued that Batman is a better character than Superman, because of his flaws).
The book continues with information similar to this, with a lot of video games/movies comparisons. If you go into this expecting to become an expert on the matter, then you will be disappointed (but really no one book can make anyone a master at anything, so if that’s your thought process then stop it). I recommend anyone interested in writing and/or video games to read this.
Some of my favorite highlights of the book include:
- Games are interactive whereas movies aren’t. Thus, the player must always be advancing the story, meaning the stories normally are much longer than in movies to account for more gameplay. Where movies are around 3 acts long on average, a video game may include 4 acts with 2 sequences in each.
- At each “level”, the goal of the protagonist must be explicitly noted and must advance the story in some way.
- Characters must be compelling and each have an arc throughout the story. Compelling characters have flaws they must overcome (which is why it is argued that Batman is a better character than Superman, because of his flaws).
The book continues with information similar to this, with a lot of video games/movies comparisons. If you go into this expecting to become an expert on the matter, then you will be disappointed (but really no one book can make anyone a master at anything, so if that’s your thought process then stop it). I recommend anyone interested in writing and/or video games to read this.
July 31, 2016
I was really excited to read this book. I knew video games needed writers but I did not know much about getting into the industry. I am a casual gamer but my boyfriend is a hard core gamer. I feel like having some background in gaming is useful when reading this book. Also, be prepared for game plot spoilers.
This book has lots or really amazing points. Some are relevant to writing in general and some are very specific to creating video games.
One of my favorite sections talked about creating compelling characters. It used the examples of Superman and Batman to talk about what makes for an interesting character. No big surprise that Batman prize for more interesting hands down. He is human. He has flaws. He has many more weaknesses than Superman. Basically, Superman is a boy scout. Generally speaking, complete do gooders with almost no weaknesses make for boring stories. Especially in video games. There is little challenge playing a video game in “God Mode.” Believe me, I used to play the first Warcraft game with that cheat. It was fun for a minute but there was no challenge there.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the explanation for how different writing for games is. For instance, players care about movements that make the story progress. They need things to be active. Spacing a story out and adding lots of things for the character to do is super important.
I think this book is a valuable read for writers even if they have never thought about video game writing. One never knows where the information might take them.
This book has lots or really amazing points. Some are relevant to writing in general and some are very specific to creating video games.
One of my favorite sections talked about creating compelling characters. It used the examples of Superman and Batman to talk about what makes for an interesting character. No big surprise that Batman prize for more interesting hands down. He is human. He has flaws. He has many more weaknesses than Superman. Basically, Superman is a boy scout. Generally speaking, complete do gooders with almost no weaknesses make for boring stories. Especially in video games. There is little challenge playing a video game in “God Mode.” Believe me, I used to play the first Warcraft game with that cheat. It was fun for a minute but there was no challenge there.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the explanation for how different writing for games is. For instance, players care about movements that make the story progress. They need things to be active. Spacing a story out and adding lots of things for the character to do is super important.
I think this book is a valuable read for writers even if they have never thought about video game writing. One never knows where the information might take them.
November 4, 2015
I'm not a writer or a game designer, I'm just an avid gamer and I still loved this book. It really made me think about the game design process. I find myself thinking about that a lot now when I'm playing something. I liked the activity sections, and the resource listings.
September 15, 2025
I've been auditioning books from the public library to decide which ones to invest in and add to my heavy bookshelves. This one is a getter. It was written 10 years ago, so it may be a bit behind the times in a fast-evolving industry, but I think it is still super useful. I love that each section ends with assignments. The assignments are creative and fun to think about. I'll be doing them. If you are interested in writing for games or if you need some cool, game-related activities and prompts, this book is useful. Also, the voice/writing style was fun without being obnoxious. I laughed quite a few times.
November 28, 2017
Perfect book for getting started with writing video games. Gives you the right tools and a reference to good practices to writing great games, how to seamlessly integrate the story with the gameplay, and what to pay attention to when writing.
December 1, 2019
Lo terminé hace tiempo.
Fue una lectura muy informativa y tuve varias ideas. Pero aún es muy pronto para mí.
Tal vez en 2020 ó 2021 piense en desarrollar un juego narrativo.
Fue una lectura muy informativa y tuve varias ideas. Pero aún es muy pronto para mí.
Tal vez en 2020 ó 2021 piense en desarrollar un juego narrativo.
October 3, 2019
A step by step recipe for building your game concept
Read this book twice. I am an indie dev working on its debut title. This book caught my attention as I was looking on ways to craft an interesting story for my game. I also really liked the title. The authors take great strides at providing many examples to clarify their philosophy about story and games and it seems they’re passionate about it. This book gives you a notion of how a good scene is built and how a story should be structured. There are exercises at the end of each chapter as well to explore the ideas in the chapter. If you follow through all the exercises you will probably end up with a GCD which is a Game concept document for your game. I wish this book had some forum so someone could critique my work. A Facebook group could be a great start. In addition This book was written in early 2015... so it would have been nice if the examples were to more up date games like “The witcher 3”, “Undertale”,”GTA 5”, “Spider-Man (2018)”, “God of war 4” and others.
There references to previous games of some of the game series I mentioned. Having said that, I do think the information in this book is highly relevant to craft your game story and build convincing character arcs.
The authors take the liberty to make some bold statements about the status and creativity of the game industry. While generally speaking I like their thought direction I did find myself wrestling with some of their ideas. But all in all a highly recommended read for the aspiring writer who wants to write for games or the developer who seeks to craft a most memorable experience for his audience. It’s a 5/5 from me.
Read this book twice. I am an indie dev working on its debut title. This book caught my attention as I was looking on ways to craft an interesting story for my game. I also really liked the title. The authors take great strides at providing many examples to clarify their philosophy about story and games and it seems they’re passionate about it. This book gives you a notion of how a good scene is built and how a story should be structured. There are exercises at the end of each chapter as well to explore the ideas in the chapter. If you follow through all the exercises you will probably end up with a GCD which is a Game concept document for your game. I wish this book had some forum so someone could critique my work. A Facebook group could be a great start. In addition This book was written in early 2015... so it would have been nice if the examples were to more up date games like “The witcher 3”, “Undertale”,”GTA 5”, “Spider-Man (2018)”, “God of war 4” and others.
There references to previous games of some of the game series I mentioned. Having said that, I do think the information in this book is highly relevant to craft your game story and build convincing character arcs.
The authors take the liberty to make some bold statements about the status and creativity of the game industry. While generally speaking I like their thought direction I did find myself wrestling with some of their ideas. But all in all a highly recommended read for the aspiring writer who wants to write for games or the developer who seeks to craft a most memorable experience for his audience. It’s a 5/5 from me.
February 1, 2019
Despite some of the jokes getting more of an eye roll than a laugh, and despite various sections looking like they could've used another copy-editor's eyes, the information in this book seems quite useful. Though, since it's from 2014, expect the references to be a bit dated and some of the more specific information (websites and the like) to have changed.
Those caveats aside, what the authors have to say about game design at a basic level and storytelling up to a more advanced level and how the two can work together is worth the asking price. Especially if you're looking for a book to reveal the basics of writing as they apply to writing video games. The exercises Bryant and Giglio outline also seem to offer a decent level of practical depth both for those looking to make a game and those looking just to stretch their interactive fiction writing muscle.
Those caveats aside, what the authors have to say about game design at a basic level and storytelling up to a more advanced level and how the two can work together is worth the asking price. Especially if you're looking for a book to reveal the basics of writing as they apply to writing video games. The exercises Bryant and Giglio outline also seem to offer a decent level of practical depth both for those looking to make a game and those looking just to stretch their interactive fiction writing muscle.
January 29, 2021
Es un buen libro para darte una idea general sobre como escribir para los videojuegos, pero no solo eso, los autores también hablan de cómo funciona la industria, del lenguaje usado, da muchos ejemplos y es muy concreto, lo que más rescato es que es muy claro con lo que quiere decir y amable con el que no tiene idea sobre la industria de los videojuegos.
Quizá el "pero" que le pongo, es como es tan general, a veces me topaba con cosas que ya sabía, no solo por el tema del juego, sino por cosas como la estructura, el viaje del héroe, el arco del protagonista, etc. Las partes interesantes pudieron ser un poco más profundas, sobre todo el escabroso tema de la estructura no lineal para escribir en contra de la estructura lineal.
Quizá el "pero" que le pongo, es como es tan general, a veces me topaba con cosas que ya sabía, no solo por el tema del juego, sino por cosas como la estructura, el viaje del héroe, el arco del protagonista, etc. Las partes interesantes pudieron ser un poco más profundas, sobre todo el escabroso tema de la estructura no lineal para escribir en contra de la estructura lineal.
October 16, 2024
This books feels like an overview of writing, video games and everything in between those two. It covers writing, game design, level design, narrative design, engines, indie games, and so much more.
It has a lot of good advice. But, if you already have some experience in any of the areas mentioned I strongly suggest you to jump any section you don't see value in. It's just not for you.
I liked the "therefore" and "but" technique and some other quotes here and there.
Overall, it felt too broad. I was expecting it to just focus on teaching how to write good story and dialogue for games.
It has a lot of good advice. But, if you already have some experience in any of the areas mentioned I strongly suggest you to jump any section you don't see value in. It's just not for you.
I liked the "therefore" and "but" technique and some other quotes here and there.
Overall, it felt too broad. I was expecting it to just focus on teaching how to write good story and dialogue for games.
January 13, 2019
If you're looking to learn some storytelling fundamentals (and want to learn those through the lens of video games), this is the book for you! Unfortunately, if you already have that basis and are looking to expand your games writing skillset, you might find yourself a bit disappointed here. It's really good at saying "here are things you'll need to prepare yourself for," when I was hoping it would... help me prepare for those very things.
July 10, 2020
Great for beginning writers. I felt this book had too much emphasis on how to be a good writer and not a good video game writer. I picked up a few tips but I don't feel much more prepared to get a narrative designer position for instance. But besides a few typos I reported in the Kindle version, it's a well written book. But as someone who has written quite a bit and in games a little, this didn't quite get as deep into the nitty gritty as I had hoped.
December 14, 2022
Когда пятая часть книги (я не шучу и не преувеличиваю) буквально посвящена тому, что такое игры, из чего они состоят, чем отличаются от традиционных медиа и почему игры важны, ничего дельного от нее ждать не приходится. Даже в жанре объяснялок "for dummies" нужно все-таки держаться приличий и не держать читателей за полных профанов (котаны, если я заинтересовался вашей книжкой, то уж наверное я знаю, что такое игры - не нужно так нудно разжевывать мне базу).
March 21, 2023
A very good guide book on writing for video games, mainly for people who already have experience writing books or movies. The book covers everything from how games are made, to the difference between writing for games, and gave quite a few example of games that are writing centric (ie The Last of Us) and emphasise how great games combine writing and gameplay into an experience that movies or books cannot deliver.
September 8, 2018
Awesome read / handbook
I learned a lot about how the gaming industry operates as well as how to incorporate good storytelling into an interactive medium.
Could have used a bit more intel on how to get your foot in the door.
I learned a lot about how the gaming industry operates as well as how to incorporate good storytelling into an interactive medium.
Could have used a bit more intel on how to get your foot in the door.
November 23, 2020
Probably 3.5 stars.
Had some interesting parts, but not too many bits that were actually helpful to someone already somewhat versed in the topic - might therefore be more suited for someone looking for an introduction.
Had some interesting parts, but not too many bits that were actually helpful to someone already somewhat versed in the topic - might therefore be more suited for someone looking for an introduction.
January 22, 2021
2.5 ó 3.0. 2.5 porque tenía muchas expectativas que no se han cubierto con este libro procedentes de los excelentes comentarios. 3.0 porque como intro para alguien ajeno a ese mundo, cubre el ese objetivo y poco más.
October 7, 2025
Наивно и поверхностно о профессии нарративного дизайнера. Писать лучше после этой книги вряд ли станешь, а чтобы хоть немного лучше понять видеоигры вместо чтения можно а) сыграть, б) посмотреть что-то.
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December 6, 2025Come lettura introduttivissima all'argomento va bene. Ho il sospetto che questa versione italiana sia tagliata perchè 129 pagine effettive vs. le originali 225... o in inglese hanno usato una font gigante, o manca qualcosa.
January 1, 2018
Pretty basic, but good stuff. If you were a writer who didn't know much about video games, or a gamer who didn't know much about writing, it might be helpful.
December 17, 2018
Excellent
It really is a must read for any gamer. It talks about stories in gamed and how to make them work.
It really is a must read for any gamer. It talks about stories in gamed and how to make them work.
March 15, 2019
Super helpful with a project I am working on.
April 24, 2019
Great, easy read that can push you to do the simplest things to get started in writing for video games.
October 2, 2020
Quite alright, but kind of meh. I don't know. I was expecting more. More of... something.
July 28, 2021
A fun book chock-full of great tips to get all your creative juices flowing
December 16, 2021
This is a really good overview of how to start the game Dev process. I would have liked a step by step, deep dive, into the GDD which is really what this book is leading up to.
July 1, 2025
This book fulfills its stated purpose, being to transition screenwriters into narrative games, very well. It could have done with some more vigorous theory (I strongly disagree on many levels with the definition of "fun" provided here) and some deeper ideas, but what's here is quite sufficient for an entry level/transitory book.
May 14, 2023
4/10
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews