Abstract
Good stories inspire us, transform us, take us to another world. So do good games. But what is it that makes a game or story "good"? A storyteller might answer that the dramatic structure of the narrative is what makes a good story. A game designer might argue that a good game challenges the player without overwhelming them. What then, of games that are also stories? First person shooters and role-playing games immerse the player in an environment, a story, a role. These games are good when the player is engaged with the story and invested in the outcome of the game. We describe the force that provides this engagement as drama. Drama in games is created by the interplay of the narrative structure of story and the ludic structure of challenges. We combine Freytag's pyramid, a model of narrative structure, with Csikszentmihalyi's model of flow and psychological experience, as a function of challenge vs. skill. Using this combination, we explore the dramatic structure of Halo: Combat Evolved, comparing the ludic and narrative structures at each stage of the game. Based on our analysis, we recommend that game designers recognise the importance of psychological states beyond flow, and structure gameplay to lead the player on a journey through different states. In particular, we defend the idea of pushing the player out of their comfort zone early in the game to provide motivation and positive stress, and ending the game with challenges below the player's level of expertise, to allow them to relax, reflect, and experience a sense of closure.