Final Thoughts
Man Cannot Live by Twists Alone Some amateurs think that plot twists are themselves enough to make a story interesting. But a story that has no emotional content is rarely interesting, no matter how many twists are involved. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was filled with action and twists, but at times seemed strangely empty and slow, even when the pacing was at its peak. The lack of emotional content meant that, even amidst the heavy action and jeopardy, it was sometimes hard to care about the twists or the danger. Games have an advantage in that the action and twists are happening to you, the player so there's a good bet you'll care. I've played games with plenty of twists and no emotional content, how ever, and it's hard to get excited about them. I'm sure you've had the same experience. Why then include mention of twists as an important facet of Emotioneering? Although twists might not be enough, a game without them could be simply tedious. When designing a game, I usually spend a lot of time trying to think of twists that will surprise the player and alter the context of the gameplay, as well as each level's, and indeed the entire game's, big and memorable moments. | 