Game Narrative Design: Plant Trivia, World-building and Player Engagement in Plants vs. Zombies

Jianing Su

doi:10.5281/zenodo.14554610

Authors

Jianing Su Xi'an Jiaotong University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14554610

Keywords:

Game Narrative, World-building, Player Engagement

Abstract

In the Plants vs. Zombies universe, plants are not merely weapons for players to overcome obstacles; they are also vivid characters with rich tales. Based on the Environmental Storytelling Theory (Jenkins, 2004), this study mainly examined the variations in the trivia narratives of three plant types and the relationship between the Plant Trivia narratives, world-building, and player engagement in Plants vs. Zombies. From the humanistic background, operational logic, and natural environment perspectives, there are significant variations in the trivia narratives among aggressive plants, sacrificial plants, and supportive plants. The Plant Trivia narratives may interact with the Plants vs. Zombies world-building through demonstrations of plant images, animations, and player missions. Additionally, players’ engagement in non-textual narratives may be enhanced by the Plant Trivia within the Plants vs. Zombies world-building. This study may provide some perspectives on the game design of character narratives involving the interaction between textual and non-textual elements in tower defense games.

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