Games have some similarities with movies and certainly far more similarity than with books. The action of a film is described in a screenplay. Films don’t tell like novels, they show. Dialogue brings the characters to life, gives them a human dimension, explains their goals, motives and passions but the screenplay still describes what happens to them. Games are similar to films, they are about action but, unlike films, they are non-linear, the player can take events in a different order every time the game is played. Films break up events through time and space but they are still viewed in a linear fashion, from start to finish, their stories unfold in this way.
Screenplays are well known for having a beginning, a middle and an end, an arrangement that was first described by Aristotle in The Poetics (search for 'beginning' in this page). Screenplays provide structure; screenplays are structure, without them there is no film.
The beginning of a movie may occupy up to a quarter of the time available. In the beginning section screenplays set the scene of the movie, introduce the characters, the locations and the theme. The chief characters will be introduced, often with a hint of the tension between them that will be resolved later. The beginning section should get the viewer involved in the story and the characters.
There will probably be a ‘backstory’ that explains the current situation of the characters, which will be revealed in ‘flashbacks’ throughout the movie. Movies are often about the fulfilment of a need in the central character: How can he be happy? How can she balance the competing demands in her life? Characters in movies strive to fulfil their needs and goals in the face of opposition from other characters or events. The emotion the movie generates in its viewers comes largely from the way the characters meet their goals in the resolution.
The end of the beginning is typically marked by a ‘Big Event’ that stirs the central character into action. These are often called ‘crisis points’ or ‘action points’ or ‘turning points’ or ‘character crossroads’. The central character may get a motivation of vengeance from this point.
The middle section occupies around a half of the time available and contains the complications of the story and the conflicts between the main characters.
The end occupies the remaining quarter of the time available, brings about a resolution of the conflicts and tidies up any loose ends. The resolution should not be a complete surprise, it should contain events that were hinted at earlier and there should be things that link the three sections together. Seasoned movie watchers will recognise events or objects in the early scenes that foreshadow later events - the 'ah' moment comes when the viewer makes the connection.
In some ways a ‘gameplay’ is more complex than a screenplay because of its non-linear quality. A gameplay has a linear element in that there is an overall goal which the player aims to achieve but in many games the player can choose or experiment with different routes to the final goal.
You can borrow some of the techniques from screenplays to produce a gameplay. A gameplay should be as rich as a screenplay but in different ways. A game may have turning points and it may depict characters fighting to gain credibility or power against all the odds. The central drama of a game may come from opposition between the player and one or more characters in the game itself. In single-player mode the opposition character will be controlled by the computer while in multi-player modes the player will face many opponents, a feature of computer games that distinguishes them from other media.
Games will produce different emotions to a film, the facial expressions, dialogue and events of a film are different to those found in a game - a game provides players with fun and excitement rather than powerful emotions of fear or sadness. A game produces intense moments of 'how do I get out of here' or 'how do I go faster than the computer?' while a film plays on your emotions with tension and drama - 'tear-jerker' is a common term for an emotional film.
The main (only?) goal of the central character will be to meet the requirements of winning the game. Like a film character the player will go on a journey of discovery, overcome obstacles, defeat or kill enemies, retrieve the prize at the end of the journey and return to home to a hero’s welcome. If you design your game well the player will enjoy the experience, however brief, and feel that he/she has benefited from it.
Unlike a movie the player is in control of a game and this is one of the attractions of games compared with other media. Game players do not sit passive and wait for the story to unfold before them, they are actively involved in making the story for themselves. A movie may provide mysteries that keep the audience guessing but it is not the audience that solves the puzzles in the way that game players do.
One way to enrich a game is to give its characters human traits, like cartoon characters such as the seven dwarfs, Woody and Buzz Lightyear and Homer Simpson. This will require thought and planning on the part of the game designer.
Like a film a game can use different locations to provide a prequel or backstory or the documentation can provide a brief account of events leading up to the start of the game (e.g. aliens have captured the hero’s wife/son/daughter, etc.). There is evidence, however, that game players are not really interested in stories, that's not why they play them and if they want a story they can read a book or watch a movie or TV. With this in mind you should probably keep the story simple but the game play rich in puzzles and surprise events.
Like a film a game can provide a single strong character in opposition to the player/hero who deploys various sidekicks to carry out his evil commands.
Like a film the early part of the game can be used to foreshadow things that happen later, this is part of the process of plotting or developing a narrative linking different parts of a game. This can be arranged through providing objects - which ones does the player need for later and how will they be used.
Like a film the end of a game should not be a random event unrelated to what has gone before, it should build to a climax from earlier game play.
Like a film a game may be based on a simple initial concept. Examples from movies include: What if Peter Pan grew up? What if the devil had a son? What if aliens came to earth? What if babies could talk? And so on.
Like a film the locations in a game should be chosen carefully and the sets should be 'dressed' with appropriate objects. Some research may be required to maintain accuracy and authenticity in the game.
Think about the story of your game, the characters, backstory, motivation and emotions that will make other people want to play it. Use the ideas here to develop your game and add them to the account of your game. Writing down your ideas is an essential part of the design, development and marketing of a product like a game.