The 'Narranauten' Want to Strengthen Narrative Design and Game Writing

A group of regional narrative designers and game writers has formed in Leipzig: the 'Narranauten'. The eight-member team from Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt aims to raise the visibility of narrative design and game writing and strengthen their position in the games industry.
Led by Marcus Klöppel, Professor of Game Design & Development at Macromedia University Leipzig, the Narranauten aim to strengthen the field of Narrative Design and Games Writing. "We see great potential in storytelling with interactive media, especially with games - in particular in the area of Narrative Design - that has not yet been fully exploited. Neither in our region, nor in Germany, nor internationally. Projects from Central Germany, such as 'Meine Oma (88)' by RotxBlau and 'Germinal' by Moonlit Monitors, also show how much power and opportunity there is in storytelling with games,' says Marcus Klöppel. Narrative Design is an important part of game development, for example the telling of the story within the game.
On 23 November, the first event took place at Macromedia University in Leipzig: the Narranauten Story Game Jam, which aimed to bring together authors and game developers. "Authors are good at telling stories. But what they rarely do is think about how these stories can be presented creatively and interactively in a game," continues Klöppel. This event is not to be a one-off. "We are already planning further Game Jams with a focus on interactive storytelling. Also planned for this year are a conference and a digital platform for the professional exchange of ideas between narrative designers and game authors, as well as a mentoring programme for young talent in the industry," says Marcus Klöppel. His team also plans to publish helpful resources for game developers, authors and others to help them get started in game development and interactive storytelling.
The founding members of the Narranauten are: - Barbara Mendes Jenner (Narrative Designer at Moonlit Monitors) - Marcus Klöppel (Professor for Game Design & Development, freelance Narrative and Game Designer) - Johanna Daher (Online Editor at MDR Sachsen-Anhalt, YouTube) - Robert Boehm (Author, Game Designer) - Josephine Fischer (Student, Game and Narrative Designer) - Noreen Sell (Teacher, Author) - Gregor Müller (Freelance Journalist, Author, Game Designer at Homo Narrans Studio)
The Narranauten are supported by Emilia Weigelt (Project Manager and Game Designer).
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