Cozy mystery construction kit: Prototyping toward an AI-assisted collaborative storytelling mystery game

Max Kreminski, Devi Acharya, Nick Junius, Elisabeth Oliver, Kate Compton, Melanie Dickinson, Cyril Focht, Stacey Mason, Stella Mazeika, Noah Wardrip-Fruin

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper presents a case study in the experience-first prototyping of a generative game. Our goal in this process was to create a PCG-based mystery story construction game ncentered on a social simulation of characters and their motivations, and driven by a set of core themes and experiences we wanted players to encounter. In pursuit of this goal, we created a series of prototypes to test how a variety of generative and AI-based techniques - -including character generation, character action suggestion based on game state, story sifting, and social simulation - -may be used in support of collaborative storytelling. In this paper we catalogue these prototypes and what we have learned by creating them, detailing design elements we found to be successful in supporting player creativity and that may be useful to the developers of similar games and experiences going forward.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, FDG 2019
EditorsFoaad Khosmood, Johanna Pirker, Thomas Apperley, Sebastian Deterding
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
ISBN (Electronic)9781450372176
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 26 2019
Externally publishedYes
Event14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, FDG 2019 - San Luis Obispo, United States
Duration: Aug 26 2019Aug 30 2019

Publication series

NameACM International Conference Proceeding Series

Conference

Conference14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, FDG 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Luis Obispo
Period8/26/198/30/19

Keywords

  • AI-based game design
  • Co-creativity
  • Collaborative storytelling
  • Design patterns
  • PCG-based game design
  • Player creativity
  • Prototyping
  • Tabletop games

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
  • Computer Networks and Communications

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