Nominees for Destructoid’s Best Narrative Design of 2014

Best of 2014

[Image credit: Mike Lambert]

It’s impossible to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes for great narrative design. It’s just something you know when you see. It’s more than an outstanding story (although, that’s certainly a requisite). It’s the melding of game mechanics with narrative to create an experience that’s elevated beyond those two parts individually.

But, the thing is, there’s no formula to ensure it’ll work in perfect harmony. All too often, games that excel at telling a story fall somewhat flat with gameplay, or vice versa. It takes a special title to work hand-in-hand with itself to create that seamless whole.

When that happens, it’s a wondrous feeling. We’re left with the games that can keep us on the edge of our seat in delight, or slouched as deep in the couch as possible, gutted with despair. We’re left with the games that we can’t stop playing, or that we can’t stop thinking about when we’re not playing. We’re left with the titles that cement the idea that videogames are a transcendent medium.

These are Destructoid’s nominees for Best Narrative Design of 2014.

• Actual Sunlight
• Always Sometimes Monsters
• Broken Age: Act One
• Consensual Torture Simulator
• Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Ether One
• Gods Will Be Watching
• JazzPunk
• Ranko Tsukigime’s Longest Day
• Transistor
• The Walking Dead Season Two
• The Wolf Among Us

_{[NOTE: Re-releases of games that contain minimal new content, incomplete products like Steam Early Access titles, and episodic titles that are not fair to asses as stand alone experiences were not eligible for this year’s awards. Due to time constraints, games released in December 2014 were also not eligible.]}

_{[Disclosure: Jim Sterling, former Reviews Editor at Destructoid, did voice work for Jazzpunk. No relationships, personal or professional, were factored into the Game of the Year voting process.]}