We are intuitive storytellers. Every story we tell about ourselves, about the things we’ve seen, or done, or will do, is framed as a story. It’s no wonder, then, that narratives dominate everything in our lives, from the short 20-second videos we watch to the movies we enjoy to the comics we read.
We know narrative shapes comic books. In fact, it’s almost fairer to say that comic books are shaped by the narratives. Comics are built around narratives.
Games are a bit different.
While yes, there are absolutely games that are built around stories and narratives (like RPGs), not every game built is actually shaped by a narrative. Puzzles, for example, can be enjoyed without any storyline involved. That doesn’t mean, however, that they don’t ever intersect.
Increasingly, more and more online games are taking a narrative edge, meaning that both online games and comics are now shaped in these key ways:
Cartoon Characters Lead the Charge
Characters lead narratives, which is why online games like those on Kanuuna.com increasingly feature a full cast of fun and colorful characters to liven up the game experience, just as they bring a comic to life. Some online games have even added RPG elements, where a successful payline also advances an in-game story featuring a full cast of characters to boost that sense of progression.
Genre Defines the Art Style
Another way narrative and design shape both comic books and online games is by defining the art style based on the IP’s genre or theme. A slot game with a woodland faerie design is going to have a vastly different art style than a sports-themed one, and the same goes for comics. While, of course, exceptions can be made, genre conventions do dictate art styles based on the genre or theme you’re going with, which diversifies the offerings and keeps each genre feeling fresh and fun.
Paneled Design Leads the Eye
In terms of design, the most similar element that shapes both comics and online games, particularly slot games, is the paneled design. In comics, the narrative progresses through a series of panels, or even sometimes whole page spreads, which lead the eye through the narrative. In a slots game, the eye is led through the paylines and columns as matches are made, wins (or losses) are had, and bonuses are achieved.
Simple Narratives Drive the Most Impact
It’s said that there are only 7 basic plots, of which we’ve made millions upon millions of unique, engaging stories. The reason why there are seven, however, is because they are the seven key drivers of the human condition:
- Overcoming the monster
- Rags to riches
- The quest
- Voyage and return
- Comedy
- Tragedy
- Rebirth
These seven basic plots boil down our needs, fears, and wants, and are a great starting point for any narrative, which is what both online games and comics use to ensure their narratives have weight. Comics, of course, have space to expand, but ultimately, they both use the basic narrative structures that are the backbone behind every great story.
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