Ruby’s Quest is a fascinating example of digital storytelling. It combines old-school adventure gaming with interactive fiction and social media.
The plot concerns one Ruby, an anthropomorphic rabbit, who awakens in a mysterious place. She needs to figure out where she is, what happened to her, and how to escape.
The platform is classic adventure game, with individual “rooms” filled with objects and exits, an inventory list, and text-based interaction.
But this was played with a live audience, and the results recorded. The designer, one Weaver, displayed individual turns, then asked the crowd – 4chan! – to respond. Which led to the next scene.
At times the crowd response can express a reader/player’s emotional state quite well:
I don’t want to spoil the story, which contains many surprises and shocks. Enjoy.
I discuss interactive fiction and other “small games” in New Digital Storytelling, chapter 6.
(thanks to my splendid daughter)
