Minigames in Stories

Community Episode Fan Community
#1

Hey, everyone! Happy holidays!

Recently, I’ve been thinking. With the beta version of “tappables” being sort of out and about in the Episode world, various authors have gotten super creative with it. Minigames in particular seem to be on the rise, because tappables allow you to implement all sorts of games you couldn’t with mere choices. So I’d love to know:

  • As a reader, what kind of minigames (whether you’ve seen them on Episode before or not) would you like to see? On the flip side, what kinds of minigames do you find tedious and boring?
  • Alternatively: as an author, how do you go about deciding what minigames work for your story?
  • Or answer both, if you like!
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#2

I haven’t seen this feature used much yet but I really liked how in The Infected you could click around the gas station and ambulance to gather supplies. It was timed too so it was a really unique and exciting experience compared to what I was used to. Adrenaline also used it when you enter the codes for safes which was pretty clever.

As for incorporating mini games into my own story that’s something I’ve been struggling with. I don’t want to force it just to use the features but it does add a lot…idk?

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#3

As a reader, what kind of minigames (whether you’ve seen them on Episode before or not) would you like to see? On the flip side, what kinds of minigames do you find tedious and boring?
I’m not sure what I’d like to see specifically as I love seeing new/creative mini games (as in, ones that I probably wouldn’t think of lol). I’m not a fan of the games where you keep having to start over from step 1 if you make a mistake, particularly if there’s a lot of steps.

Alternatively: as an author, how do you go about deciding what minigames work for your story?
I have a few. I actually don’t usually plan my mini games (even though I completely plan out my stories). They usually just happen while I’m writing. I’ll suddenly think “ooooh [insert game here] could work!”.

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#4

I agree! Those games where you have to keep starting over are so annoying and tedious. I’d rather the author just make me deal with my consequences.

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#5

As a reader, I like seeing it in mystery stories as like a way to find clues… I also like it being used in dress up games. I can appreciate the effort an author goes to to upload outfits as overlays.

As an author… I’ve used it in a couple of stories already.
One time was a mystery pick, like a lucky draw, so the reader had to pick a piece of paper and each paper gave them a different outcome.
The next time was part of a challenge where the main characters were stealing a car - the cars were tappable overlays - but only 2 out of 5 cars were “stealable”, so the reader would run out of time if they picked the wrong car too many times.
In future, I’m planning to use it in a mystery story as a way to find clues, since that’s what I like reading. And also as part of a menu option like in Televokai

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#6

Oh yes, I’ve read The Infected! Definitely a good example imo of how to implement timed choices in a fun way. I’m wondering if it had a bit of inspiration from the Choices app, based on how the timed choices are worded, but the way it was written/directed is very creative in its own right and clearly a labor of love. They did a great job.

I’m definitely struggling too. I really don’t understand how to make a mini game that doesn’t feel like it’s taking away from the fun of the story.

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#7

There is one in Jalissa’s story. I can’t remember the name.

#8

Absolutely. I’m thinking a big part of why it gets old is that those kinds of games usually require you to do guesswork and that’s not much fun for me. For example: “Do you turn left or right on the path? Okay, now do you go straight or go left?” and so forth. In the end, it becomes a chore, because there’s no level of brainwork involved. You can’t possible know if something like straight or left is the better option.

That might not be what you mean, but that’s what comes to mind when I think of minigames where you continuously have to start over.

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#9

That’s exactly what I mean :rofl:

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#10

I love the concept of tappables in mystery stories. It works very well with the genre. :slight_smile: Wish you the best if you decide to write that mystery! And here’s a link to the “main menu” coding trick Vaena has graciously shared with us, if you’re struggling.

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#11

Forever Young, I think?

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#12

Yep. I knew it had “Young” in it, just couldn’t remember where.

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#13

Thank you! And hehehe, I’ve had that bookmarked for a few months now lol :laughing:

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#14

I don’t know about tappable overlays :face_with_raised_eyebrow::face_with_raised_eyebrow::face_with_raised_eyebrow:, but I did use my own overlays. Sorry, this is going back a year now, but as for minigames, I did create an escape room in one episode. Every choice (clue/action) took a certain amount of time, and that was done by using the points system and whether you passed or failed the room. :man_shrugging::man_shrugging::man_shrugging:

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#15

They’re pretty neat! Tappables are very adaptable and, like a couple others have said, you can use them for making timed choices in real time, various minigames, or even just exploring a room. It’s the same concept as “tapping” a choice, but for overlays. I just wish it would be released from beta testing. :pensive:

I like the concept of your escape room! It reminds me a little of the Don’t Escape indie game series with how you coded it so that x decision costs y amount of time.

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#16

Bump! :joystick:

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#17

Well, as a reader I would like to see something new 🤷🏼 anything that will surprise me :grin:
And as an author, I don’t plan my minigames either. I just published a story with lots of minigames and I went back like 3 times and created a minigame where it wasn’t supposed to be because as you said I was like oooh this kind of minigame would fit there :smile:

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#18

My timed choices are definitely inspired by Choices. I love their timer, the official one on Episode looks so clunky, which is why I still make my own by uploading the choice buttons as tappable overlays😂

The way they’re worded is actually because you need to give the reader a heads up that they’re coming, but announcing them every time would break the flow of the story, so you kind of have to imply they’re coming without contrived narration. The writers at Choices probably think the same way, so it’s kind of a natural progression to that kind of wording.

As for other mini-games (and speaking of being Choices inspired) I’m thinking of a way to use tappables to make choices that have a 50/50 chance of succeeding. Or a certain percent chance of succeeding based on points, so the result would be different each time you replayed. I have an idea on how to do this, but I haven’t tested it yet.

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#19

:scream: OMG, I didn’t know that’s how you did it, but now that makes so much sense

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#20

The Episode timed choices automatically default to the last choice if you run out of time, which is the main reason I still do it. I sometimes want to use a unique option if the reader doesn’t pick in time… and eventually readers would learn not to pick the last choice, since it would always be the “do nothing” option :neutral_face:

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