Delivered at Casual Connect Kyiv 2017. Each medium has their own unique traits that allow for creating really strong emotional bonds between the consumer and the work of art. In games that’s interactivity – controls and mechanics. In this session we’ll talk about the unique traits games can use to elicit feelings, emotions, and create strong bonds with players.

1. Show, Don’t Tell? Play, Don’t Show!
Stanislav Costiuc, Game Designer, Ubisoft

2. Video Game Maturity
Infancy
1958-1985
Childhood
1985-2005
Teenage Years
2005-Present

3. WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?

4. INTERACTIVITY!!!
(duh)

5. Aspirations
Someday I
want to be
just like
you!

6. Deep Emotional Connections

7. Learning From Other Mediums is Good…

8. …But How to Harness the Power of Interactivity?
UNLIMITED
POWEEEE
EEEEEEEE
ER!!!

9. INTERACTIVITY ALLOWS TO BUILD
EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS IN A WAY
ONLY VIDEO GAMES CAN

10. Show, Don’t Tell
“Don’t tell me the moon is
shining, show me the glint
of light on broken glass.”
– Anton Chekhov

11. Empathy

12. Projection

13. Play, Don’t Show
“Don’t just show me
sadness in somebody’s
eyes, make me endure
through it myself.”
– Stanislav Costiuc

21.  ADD VIDEO HERE

23.  ADD VIDEO HERE

28. Projection
Cutscene – Empathy Interaction - Projection
 I decided that Lee
should kill Duck so
Kenny, as the father,
wouldn’t have to.
 I am Lee and I have to
go through the decision
by targeting the child’s
head and pulling the
trigger.

29. Applicable to All Genres and Inputs

30.  How to follow play don’t show principle?WHAT DO I WANT TO SAY?

31.  How to follow play don’t show principle?TRUST

32.  How to follow play don’t show principle?PLAYER AGENCY

33.  How to follow play don’t show principle?HOPE

34.  Was Alone example

36. Thank You! Questions?
 E-mail:
stas@stanislavcostiuc.c
om
 Website:
www.stanislavcostiuc.co
m
 YouTube Channel:
youtube.com/c/Farlands