Video Game World Building Essentials
Master the art of creating immersive video game worlds through environmental storytelling and narrative design.
Master the art of creating immersive video game worlds through environmental storytelling and narrative design.
This introductory course explores the fundamental aspects of creating compelling video game worlds from a writer's perspective. Students learn to develop rich, believable game settings through environmental storytelling, lore creation, and narrative design. The curriculum covers collaboration with art directors and level designers, creating memorable settings, and implementing storytelling through various media forms including audio logs and environmental details. Practical assignments and industry insights help students understand the collaborative nature of game world development.
Instructors:
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What you'll learn
Master environmental storytelling techniques for game worlds
Develop compelling lore and backstories for game settings
Create engaging audio and video narrative content
Design believable fictional cultures and ecosystems
Implement effective found narrative elements
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
PreRecorded video
Graded assignments, Exams
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Limited Access access
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There are 5 modules in this course
This comprehensive course focuses on creating compelling game worlds through effective storytelling techniques. Students learn about environmental storytelling, lore development, and narrative design in video games. The curriculum covers essential aspects including world-building fundamentals, fictional race and culture creation, environmental design, and genre considerations. Special emphasis is placed on collaborative development processes and implementing narrative elements through various in-game mechanisms.
Creating a Compelling Game World
Module 1
Creating Fictional Worlds
Module 2
Populating Your World
Module 3
Animating Your World
Module 4
Finessing Your World
Module 5
Fee Structure
Instructors
12 Courses
A Versatile Writer Bridging Video Games and Theatre
Peter Boychuk serves as an Adjunct Professor at UBC's School of Creative Writing, where he teaches Writing for Video Games while maintaining an active career as a Senior Writer at Respawn Entertainment. After earning his MFA in Writing from the University of Victoria, he has built an impressive career spanning video game narrative design and playwriting. His video game credits include leading narrative roles on major titles such as MARVEL's Dimension of Heroes for Disney, Freediver: Triton Down, Evasion, and Dead Rising 4 for Capcom. As a playwright, he has created notable works including "Jesus Freak" for Pacific Theatre, "Fritters in Kandahar" at Lunchbox Theatre, and "L'Élection" for Théâtre la Seizième, with his play "Afterglow" published in the anthology "Two Hands Clapping" by Signature Editions. His expertise in interactive storytelling has led him to develop and teach courses at UBC, including the Video Game Writing Essentials program, where he helps students understand the unique challenges of writing for interactive media while bridging the gap between traditional narrative forms and emerging digital storytelling.
12 Courses
A Pioneering Literary Educator and Science Fiction Author
Andrew Gray serves as Program Coordinator at the University of British Columbia's Creative Writing Program, where he has made significant contributions to both traditional and digital education initiatives. Born in 1968 in Scotland before immigrating to Canada, he completed his MFA at UBC in 1996 and has since built an impressive career combining literary achievement with educational innovation. As the founder of UBC's Optional-Residency MFA Program and a key developer of the Video Game Writing Certificate, he has helped shape the future of creative writing education. His literary work spans both traditional and speculative fiction, with his short story collection "Small Accidents" earning nominations for the Ethel Wilson Award and IPPY Independent Publisher's Award. His writing has appeared in prestigious publications including Prairie Fire, Event, Grain, and Fiddlehead, while his science fiction novella "The Ghost Line," co-authored with J.S. Herbison, was published by Tor in 2017. In his current role, he coordinates educational technology support and develops new programs within Creative Writing, including non-credit courses, while continuing to provide learner support for the Video Game Writing Certificate program.
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