Story-driven game VS Gameplay-driven Game

What is a story-driven game?

Each archetype differs in the outcome according to the features added to the game. If the game is story-driven, there will probably be an impotent initiating component for the player to play the game (like the story having a good start), and there is also a vital motivating factor for the player to keep playing until the end (like the plot being interest). At the end of the story, there can also be a strong promotion of the game as the player will recommend the game to their friends for its incredible ending.

The disadvantage of making a story-based game is that the designer may not have matched the story to the original game mechanic. Story-driven games are characterized by dynamic changes to their game mechanics to add to the story.

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Examples of this kind of game are where you can build the game’s story by finding items, unlocking exceptional skills and abilities, finding unique enemies, and meeting special allies (and maybe them joining you!). If you limit the game to a game mechanic with little or no development, it’s probably a better idea as a movie or a book.

Another disadvantage of story-based games is that some players like to play to have some fun (casual gamers). Some of these players are religious about making the game experience casual and prefer not to get involved in the game’s long-term intentions (story).

So a game designer must be careful about choosing the story’s pace to match the target player, preferably not leaving the player waiting for particular events in the story to motivate them to play more.

Gameplay driven

On the other hand, the gameplay-driven design would probably be a mildly engaging game. It means that the game will motivate the player to play only for fun, and the game is over if the players ever gets tired (which they probably will).

The design of a gameplay-driven game is somehow faster than a story-driven game: the designer should only think about the main game mechanic (initial idea) and create a game story to accommodate some difficulty management with the game experience. Some designers prefer not to leave everything to just some difficulty and create a simple story to run alongside the development of the main game mechanics.

Considering that the gameplay idea is excellent (more likely to be so here than in story-driven games) there is one significant advantage for games with a game storyboard that focuses on mechanics from the start. It is easier to make a story that matches a game mechanic than a game mechanic that matches the story. It’s also easy to add a fun factor to a game when the gameplay is thought out from the start.