The document discusses six patterns of interactive storytelling: linear, linear interactive, multiple ending, branching path, open world, and toy box. Each pattern provides a different level of audience participation, from no participation in linear stories to full participation in toy box stories where the audience creates their own story. The patterns can help rethink how to tell stories in a participatory way across different platforms and media.

1. Six Patterns of Interactive Storytelling
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2. It has to be interactive! Does it?
Since the first computer people are fascinated by the idea of interactive stories.
Think about the Holodeck in Star Trek. A device able to create fully immersive,
interactive and fictional worlds.
The idea of an audience that takes an active role in the story instead of just watching
is intriguing. The claim to offer an interactive experience sells video games and
advertising campaigns. However a lot of so called interactive experiences are quite
boring. Simply because not every story is suitable for an interactive approach.
We work with six Patterns of Interactive Storytelling - that may also help you to
rethink, test, reframe and tell your stories in a participatory way.
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3. Introduction
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4. !
00. TODAY
Today we see brands communicating on several platforms, trying to connect to us, the
audience. However these approaches are often only loosely connected by something
lika a theme, a key visual or a message.
Some activities of brands might even tell a story, but a real connection between
touchpoints is often missing. The activities mostly exist separated from each other and
there is little reason for an audience to visit them in a connected way.
A story can create meaningful connections between these touchpoints.
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5. 01. Structually every story is a series of events
that are linked by cause and effect.
02. Interactive Storytelling asks:
How can the audience participate in some of the main story events?
Do the events have to be experienced in a linear order?
03. Transmedia Storytelling asks:
How may events of a story unfold on different platforms?
How can several stories create a unified experience on different platforms and stages.
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6. Storyteller‘s Audience
Control Participation
- 0 1 2 3 4 5 +
Level of interactivity
We see six levels of audience interactivity in storytelling. They reach from no audience
participation to nearly complete audience freedom. Please note: The more an audience can
participate in a story the less a storyteller is in control of the story. As you will see there is a
pattern for every level of interactivity.
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7. However, it is not about passivity.
Often people think that non-interactive, linear
media (TV/Movies/ Books) is consumed in a
passive way, while interactive media is enjoyed
by an active audience.
We think media passivity is a myth - and we
are not alone:
„The idea that the mechanics of traditional
„A passive audience is not a
storytelling, which are innate to the human ability
sign for a lack of interactivity.
to communicate are somehow nullified by
It is a sign for bad storytelling
interactivity is absurd. [...] When one is engaged in
- interactive or not.“
any kind of storyline, interactive or not, one is
continually making decisions: ,What will happen
(Valentin Heyde)
next?‘ ,What should the hero do?‘ ,Don‘t open the
door!‘ The difference only comes in the
participant‘s ability to take action.
(Jesse Schell, The Art of Game Design p. 263)
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8. Six Patterns of
Interactive Storytelling
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9. Linear
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10. Linear
0
Description:
In linear storytelling the events unfold in a pre-scripted way. The audience does not have
any influence on the course of events. This is the most common way we read books,
watch video or enjoy theater.
Since the audience can not influence the story, the storyteller is in full control.
If the audience likes the story it is almost impossible to not get emotional attached to the
events and characters of the story. Linear storytelling is the easiest way to make people
cry.
However your story has to be really emphatic, exiting and relevant if you want people to
grant more than 30 seconds of their awareness.
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11. The Wardrobe. Canal +, BETC Euro RSCG, 2009
A linear TV AD is still a great device to excite people.
However it needs a story to be entertaining. And even the most
clever TV Ad gets dull when you have seen it a thousand times.
But the 30sec frame of a TV Ad is not mandatory.
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12. BMW FILMS
BMW FILMS, Fallon, 2001
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13. Royal Caribbean
Ocean Films, RoyalCaribean, 2011
A love story gives your product a chance to shine longer than
30sec.
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14. Linear Interactive
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15. Linear Interactive
1
Description:
In linear interactive storytelling the events will also enfold in a pre-scripted way.
However the audience might have some limited influence in certain parts of the story.
A lot of video games use this mode of narration. Although a player might act freely within
a level of the game he can not change the overall storyline. Think about Super Mario
(the slide before): Mario has to rescue the princess. The story is simple an linear.
However the player can control how Mario walks through the levels.
Looking beyond games you will find this pattern in interactive books, digital newspapers.
It is a narrative that still gives the storyteller a lot of control.
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16. Fantastic Flying Books.
Fantastic Flying Books. Moonbot Studios 2011
In this interactive book the story is fixed. However
the user can interact with some scenes and props
(like the piano).
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17. Dirty Work on Rides-TV
Dirty Work, rides.tv, 2012
On rides.tv you can follow several pre-scripted
narratives. On certain points of the story you will
get phone calls or see what has happened before.
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18. Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3, rockstar games, 2012
Even a blockbuster game like Max Payne 3 uses
linear interactivity. The player follows a pre-
scripted storyline from one gun battle to the next.
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19. Deutsche Telekom Roadmovie
Telecom Roadmovie | Agency: DDBTribal, 2012
This campaign is currently running in Germany. The
Deutsche Telecom asks people to participate in the
production of a roadmovie starring a Hollywood actor.
However the audience can only participate in small
details (like designing props or suggesting locations).
Although it is never said openly one gets the impression,
that the story is already made up.
Furthermore: Since the audience does not find any
clue what the movie is about - there is little reason to
get actively involved.
Indy film projects like IronSky on the other hand could
rely on the help of their fans, because they offered an
unseen and interesting storyline that fans would not see
without their help.
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20. Multiple Ending
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21. Multiple Ending
2
Description:
In a multiple ending narrative the audience can decide on the outcome of a story.
However they can‘t change how the story enfolds. Most usually you will find multiple
ending narratives in casting shows. The most simple way to build a multiple ending
narrative is to create an audience voting.
Because the audience gets most of their satisfaction depending on the ending of a
story, the storyteller is giving away a great share of his power in a multiple ending
narrative.
So if you choose to go with a multiple ending narrative - make sure that every
possible ending is really compelling.
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22. OTTO Model-Contest, 2009
An audience voting on models or
package design is an easy way to
create a multiple ending narrative.
It is widely used in facebook marketing
and pr.
However the storyteller has to be
prepared that the audience might
choose an ending that the storyteller did
not anticipated or wanted. The audience
does that because it is fun to challenge
the storyteller. On the other hand if the
audience feels that their vote is not fully
counting - they will loose the fun in it.
In 2009 German fashion retailer OTTO
saw himself confronted with a male
student in woman‘s cloth winning a
model contest. They took it with humor
and produced a shooting with him.
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23. Axe Anarchy | Agency: razorfish/BBH, 2012
The digital Axe Anarchy campaign allowed the
internet audience to participate in the real-time
production of a graphic novel. They could also
decide on the ending of the story. So it is a mix of
two patterns linear interactive and multiple ending.
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24. Branching Path
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25. Branching Path
Description:
3
A branching path narrative consists of pre-structured key-
events that can be reached on different pathways or
platforms.
Depending on the complexity of the branching path this
way of telling offers a great opportunity to generate
different experiences out of the same story.
That is why a lot of the classical adventure games like „The
Secret of Monkey Island“ (the slide before) have used the
branching path pattern.
Today a branching path is an interesting model to think
about transmedia campaigns and Alternate Reality Games
(formally known as Scavanger Hunts).
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26. Dexter ARG | Agency: Modernista, 2010
In the Dexter Alternate Reality Game the users follow a branching
path narrative to catch a serial killer. During this scavenger hunt
they need to visit websites and live events.
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27. Hell Pizza
Hell Pizza, Delivery to Hell Adventure | Agency: littlesistersfilms, 2010
In Pizza Delivery from Hell users follow a series of clips on youtube
telling the story of a delivery guy hunted by zombies.
The story enfolds depending on the choices the user makes at
each branching point.
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28. Open World (sometimes called ,sandbox‘)
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29. Open World Description:
Instead of telling a story in a linear way and with a clear
ending, an Open World spreads narratives and events
4
throughout a fictional space.
In the Open World pattern the setting of a story is more
than just a backdrop to the story events. The audience
can move freely between the events. The user is
building his own story - based on his movements and
the events pre-scripted by the storyteller.
An open world has some defining elements. An Open
World can be visualized in a map. It has borders confining
the fictional space. Often the world has a central theme, a
history and certain rules about how to behave in the world.
Computer games like GTA are using this mode of
narration. Also theme parks and malls are examples of
Open World narratives. Some times Open Worlds are seen
as the basis for transmedia storytelling. So big movies try
to create an open world - however their worlds often have
a strong gravitational center like a linear cinematic movie.
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30. The theme park is the most obvious open world
narrative. Several story events (rides) are
organized in a space. It is up to the user to
experience it.
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31. Fanta. King of the Park. Agency: argonauten G2 , 2011
Fanta took the idea and has created a theme park
for facebook. However it lacks the feeling of
Theme-ing and therefore storytelling.
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32. GTA, Rockstar Games
The GTA games take the theme park principle into
the virtual world (together with the map).
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33. feature film Prometheus. Ridley Scott, Twentieth Century Fox
A blockbuster movie like prometheus extends a
fictional open world mostly around the feature film
in it‘s center.
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34. Toy-Box
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35. Toy Box Description:
A toy box offers complete audience freedom. Instead of
5 telling the story or pre-scripting the events, the storyteller
creates only a framework, a stage, a playground.
To give this playground a meaning according to the story,
the storyteller will define it by rules. According to these
rules the user can create his own story like in a
simulation. The game „The Sims“ is a great example for a
Toy Box.
A toy box is interesting because the audience
experiences rules instead of hearing about them. That
might make it easier to persuade - because humans have
a strong believe in their actions.
So instead of presenting a story the storyteller develops a
toolkit for the audience to help them develop stories on
their own.
One questions stays unanswered: Is a Toy Box still
storytelling?
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36. Edding Wall of Fame. Agency: kempertrautman , 2011
The Edding Wall of Fame gives users a virtual
whiteboard to draw with a virtual pencil.
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37. Fanta. Sagen oder Wagen. Agencies: Faktor 3, argonauten G2 , MECH, 2010
This virtual truth or dare game has given teenagers the opportunity
to create their stories around the campaign theme „teenager
embarrassment“.
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38. Ideo Method Cards
IDEO, 2009
The IDEO method cards tell people how IDEO generates insights.
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39. Overview No Story
!
linear multiple
linear
interactive ending
branching open
toybox
path ended
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40. One last thought:
It does not matter how interactive or participatory a story is
planned and delivered. The individual user experience is
still always linear. Because life is (let‘s face it) linear.
Therefore as a storyteller you have to make sure that
every path a user might choose to experience a story is as
exiting as another.
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41. Used Sources
Josiah Lebowitz, Chris Klug (2011): Interactive Storytelling
for Video Games. Focus Press
Jesse Schell (2008): The Art of Game Design. Elsevier Inc.
Andrea Phillips (2012): A Creator‘s Guide to Transmedia
Storytelling. McGraw Hill
All Pictures are used for educational purpose only!
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42. We build stories...
Three-Headed Monkeys is a consultancy for strategic storytelling based in
Hamburg. We help brands, start-ups and companies to leverage the power
of narratives to move hearts, minds and business.
Contact
Valentin Heyde
Story Architect | Managing Partner
Tel: +49 170 9096094
Twitter: @valentinheyde
Christian Riedel
Story Architect | Managing Partner
+49 151 23062619
@mindcaffeine
Three-Headed Monkeys GmbH
c/o betahaus Hamburg
Lerchenstrasse 28a
22767 Hamburg, Germany
Don‘t copy. It makes you look stupid.
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