Latest Articles
Editorial: Branching Paths and Player Choices
Should player choices always matter?
Narrative Analysis: Epilogues
Epilogues can provide closure and build anticipation for future stories.
Editorial: The Art of the Reboot
How do you know when it’s time to reboot a franchise?
About Cutscene University
At Cutscene University, our goal is to teach the essentials of storytelling by using the vibrant, engaging stories from both classic and modern video games. Visit our Narrative Analysis section to learn the fundamentals of story, and our StoryScan section to read about strengths and weaknesses in popular game stories. For a more casual look at video game storytelling, read our editor’s musings on game narratives in the Editorial section.
Next Update: Friday, April 7th, 2023
Recommended Reading
Narrative Analysis 101:
The Basics
Learn the fundamentals of storytelling: structure, character, setting, and themes.
StoryScan: Critical Hits, Weak Points, and Versus
Study the highs and lows of popular video game stories.
Editorials: Letters from the Editor
Conversations with our Editor-in-Chief.
Storytelling has a shape. It dominates the way all stories are told and can be traced back not just to the Renaissance, but to the very beginnings of the recorded word. It’s a structure that we absorb avidly whether in art-house or airport form and it’s a shape that may be – though we must be careful – a universal archetype.
John Yorke
Producer and Script Editor