Common Video Game Plots

Can't think of a plot for you game?
Here's a list of common plots shamelessly ripped-off from p. 350 of Rollings and Adams book On Game Design.

I have a copy of this book in the lab. I highly recommend you look through it.

  • Find and punish the person responsible for a loved one's murder (Baldur's Gate)
  • Learn the secret behind your hidden parentage (Star Wars)
  • Rescue the kidnapped princess (Mario).
  • Find and reassemble the long-lost pieces of the magic thingy (Nox).
  • Find and destroy the dangerous object (Lord of the Rings).
  • Kill the marauding monster (Beowulf).
  • Transport the valuable thingy past the people trying to steal it (Mad Max).
  • Try to get back home(Nox).

Note: There is no reason why your game couldn't contain more than one of these.
Most games have a main "story arc" and several overlapping smaller "arcs" inside it.

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