Chronicler
Solo project
OVERVIEW
Chronicler is an RPG without combat or loot. Fragments of stories are collected in your interactions, you use these to craft your own narratives and perform as a storyteller. The gameplay mechanics are inspired by Dan Harmon and Christopher Vogler's narrative structure work, combined with deck building elements. This game is a work in progress, the mechanics and level design are playable as a vertical slice, the UI and onboarding are still being developed.
Gameplay Breakdown
The core gameplay loop involved the player exploring their world in order to gather story-fragments. These are based on the story circle, with each fragment being inspired by one of eight narrative stages. The player uses their fragments to craft their own stories, these can be used to solve problems as well as performing for money and progression. The gameplay loops are represented below, using Zubek's onion diagram model.
Card Mechanics
Chronicler contains a card game, this is intended to be representation of telling a story. The mechanics were informed by narrative structure, particularly the work of Dan Harman and Christopher Vogler.
1
2
3
1
The deck
The player holds a deck of story fragments. When telling a story they always hold a hand of three, cards can be discarded for a new draw but this comes with a points penalty.
2
The Timeline
To assemble their story, players place cards on the timeline. A story must be told linearly, from acts I to III. Cards have up to three connecting symbols and can be played as long at least one symbol can be matched.
3
The Objective
Players must complete their story in eight cards or fewer. A story can be completed and score as soon as an act III card is played on the timeline.
Act mARKERS
lINKING SYMBOLS
nAME
Card names and descriptions have been left vague, allowing the player to interpret the story they are telling
Level Design
The levels in Chronicler are designed to be multi-linear, allowing the player moments of freedom to explore and accept challenges. This described in the flow chart below.
Thief
Courtyard
​
Game Begins
Onboarding 1
Retired Adventurer
Mum
Guard
Merchant
Bottleneck
​
Return to Nissa
Onboarding 2
Kids
Level End
​
Performance
The encounters in the vertical slice are portioned out to ensure the player has a good understanding of the core mechanics, before being given freedom to roam the environment. This is achieved through the placement of NPCs, rather than locking off areas.
To make the level easier to navigate with a map or objective markers, a technique used in Disney Parks was employed. Each section of the map is given a landmark (referred to as a weeny by Disney). At least two landmarks are visible from each area of the level.
Fancy
Town
Home
Courtyard
Garden
Theatre
Market
Sight Lines
