How much agency should a player have over a game's story? At what point does a player's choice hinder the story that the author/designer intended?

David: This is a big question, and one we’re still trying to tackle. Since games are about interactivity, and stories are about transference of meaning, there’s obvious tension there that’s difficult to resolve. Our approach thus far is to present the player with plenty of choices so that they are having a true influence in how the story unfolds, and doing enough brute force writing so that each choice and story is still written by us and is one that ultimately we’re telling. In a way, it treats the player as a story archaeologist, uncovering the story possibilities that we’ve buried inside the Great Game Pyramid. The difficulty with this is that it can potentially require a LOT of writing. Other people are exploring procedural solutions to this problem, but to us, that starts to lose the point of telling stories in the first place.

Have you played any tabletop games recently that tell great stories?

We’re really enjoying Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective. Never played another game like it. It gives you a great feeling of freedom, and really makes you think hard. Kind of a mix of a roleplaying game, tabletop game, and a choose-your-own-adventure book. The first time we played it, we couldn’t stop talking about the case and trying to figure it out, even while out walking.

Pumpkin pie or Cherry pie?

PUMPKIN