This talk delves into the interplay between gameplay and narrative in Frostpunk 2, offering an examination of how game mechanics can be woven into storytelling to evoke a distinct narrative mood. It outlines hands-on methods for managing complexity and difficulty to serve narrative clarity, and shows how aligning gameplay with players' human values can deepen emotional engagement. Drawing from real-world examples and design hurdles faced during development, the session offers actionable insights into building games that tell meaningful stories using the expressive tools unique to the medium.

Participants will explore how to craft gameplay mechanics that reinforce storytelling, balance game complexity to enhance narrative clarity, and refine gameplay through the lens of player perception to deliver personalized, emotionally impactful narrative experiences. My goal is to share insights from Frostpunk 2 that translate into practical approaches for designing narrative-focused games.