Building Story in Open Worlds: Winter Mullenix & Tormod MacLean on Narrative Design in Sandbox MMOs
Description
In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, we sit down with Winter Mullenix and Tormod MacLean to explore what it really means to tell stories in open-world, player-driven spaces. Together, we dig into the challenges and opportunities of crafting narrative in sandbox MMOs, where story doesn’t come from scripted quests alone, but from the players themselves.
Winter and Tormod share insights from their work on large-scale projects, unpacking how narrative design can survive (and even thrive) in worlds defined by freedom.
Whether you're building your first open-world game or looking for ways to weave narrative meaning into systems-driven experiences, this episode will help you think differently about what “story” really means in a sandbox MMO.
Where to find Winter & Tormod:
- LinkedIn (Winter): https://www.linkedin.com/in/wintermullenix/
- LinkedIn (Tormod): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tormod-maclean-6b230012/
- EVE Online: https://www.eveonline.com/
The Corner of Story and Game:
- Discord
- Facebook
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- Bluesky
- LinkedIn
- Email: gerald@storyandgame.com
#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #MMORPG #SandboxGames #OpenWorldDesign #EmergentStorytelling #GameDevelopment #StoryInGames #PlayerAgency #InteractiveNarrative #GameDesign #StorytellingInGames #TheCornerOfStoryAndGame #IndieDev #SystemsDesign #WritingForGames #BuildingWorlds #GameNarrative #NarrativeCraft #WorldBuilding
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