GFI: A Formal Approach to Narrative Design and Game Research

Abstract

We present the GFI framework (standing for Goals, Feedback, and Interpretation), inductively developed to address the MDA framework’s shortcomings as a lens and tool for modeling games. GFI stands parallel to MDA as a formal approach that offers bridging the gap between narrative design, game development, story analysis, and game research. Through GFI, we analyze foundational narrative design problems and systematically peek through the game design space, in order to evidence its analytical and generative traction. We believe these discussions signal GFI’s potential to elucidate the narrative design process, making it easier for researchers and practitioners to decompose, study, and design a broad class of game artifacts.