Crafting an Interactive Mystery
Never Fear Paris: A Photographic Mystery
What if stories could evolve based on your choices?
We’re barely 100 years since the first radio broadcast by the BBC (in 1922). I’m enchanted by the early twentieth century: the changes in the social and world order. And there are the parallels to the development of technology.
Earlier this year, I imagined a radio show that introduced the mystery of a surrealist artist that vanished in Paris in 1926. I created the concept, edited the script, and edited the final video. The images are from MidJourney, the dialogue voice from ElevenLabs, the music and sound effects from WavJourney.
The particular purpose of this radio show is to serve as a prologue to a larger interactive mystery, Never Fear Paris.
Story Design Dossier
A game design document (GDD) guides the development of a video game. One could argue easily that an interactive story is a game. But I’m not entirely comfortable with that framing of the experience. I’m using the term ‘story design dossier’.
The story design dossier guides the development of the interactive story. The dossier details narrative elements, character profiles, plot points, and interactive mechanics, providing a structured framework to ensure consistency and coherence throughout the process. A story design dossier aligns the vision with the implementation.
High-level Concept
Never Fear Paris: A Photographic Mystery is an interactive murder mystery immersing players in the artistically vibrant world of 1920s Paris. The year is 1926. You play a photographer observing life in the city. You step into the shoes of a photographer, capturing images revealing hidden clues and engaging with enigmatic characters: Elodie, a nightclub dancer; Marcel, an artist.
In an early scene, you sit and watch Elodie dancing and interacting with Marcel. You overhear a person in the club say, “The killer is in the room.” You see Elodie suddenly leave the club. Why did she leave? Who are these people, and who was killed?
As the player, you’ve entered this mystery. You task yourself with finding the killer, though everyone seems a suspect. With no detective training, as a photographer and observer of human nature, you learn about 1920s Paris life while seeking the killer.
You photograph the streets, the neighborhood around the club, hoping to see the dancer again. You encounter others—artists, musicians, and patrons who frequent the club. As you photograph them and the area, you collect photographic clues. In your studio, developing the film reveals details not evident on first sight.
The game blends history with AI-driven experiences exploring the nature of conversations among strangers, some leading to friendship, others leading down a deadly path. One one level, “Never Fear” is simply a murder mystery with the backdrop of a city recovering from the shadows of World War I. But it’s also a serious game wrapped in a story that wrapped in revealing the limits of perception, misinformation, and technology.
The Disappearing Artist
Through the clip from the BBC radio broadcast, we learn that a fellow surrealist artist and close friend of Marcel's disappeared without a trace several months ago. The last place he was seen was at Le Chat Noir, sketching a mysterious figure in the corner of the club. Marcel has been haunted by the disappearance, convinced that the answer lies within the walls of the club or perhaps even with Élodie herself, who joined the club around the same time.
Interactive Story & Gameplay
Interactive story and gameplay are used almost interchangeably, reflecting their intertwined nature in the context of narrative-driven experiences. An interactive story extends beyond traditional storytelling by allowing the reader, or player, to make choices that influence the narrative’s direction and outcome. This interactive element is what we refer to as gameplay in the context of a narrative-driven game.
Gameplay, traditionally associated with player actions and strategies in game environments, emphasizes the player’s engagement with the story through decisions, explorations, and interaction with characters and objects. These gameplay mechanics are integrated into the narrative structure to create an immersive experience where the player’s choices drive the story forward, resulting in unique playthroughs. Understanding gameplay in this context recognizes how player interactions contribute to the unfolding of the story, blurring lines between playing a game and experiencing a story.
Interactive Story Elements
The gameplay is designed for each player to shape the course of their experience where choices have impact on the story’s outcome. This AI-driven feature enhances the depth of the game’s world and plays a critical role in unraveling the mystery, as the information gathered by the players directly influences their understanding of the unfolding story.
The Cast: artists, musicians, and their admirers. Each person has their own story and potential secrets.
Branching Narratives: the story employs AI-driven dynamics to create dynamic story paths, enabling different experiences for each player. Each decision made by the player not only alters the immediate response from the story world but also branches the storyline in significant ways.
Conversations with Non-Player Characters (NPCs): Engaging conversation is powered by AI. Players can question NPCs and gather perspectives. Each dialogue dynamically influences the NPC’s reactions and attitudes.
First-Person Perspective: Experience the story through the eyes of the photographer, capturing the essence of 1920s Paris and its inhabitants.
Photographic Clue Collection: Photograph scenes, people, and events around the club and Paris. Developing these photos in your studio reveals hidden details and clues.
Non-linear Storytelling: Explore the streets of Montmartre, uncovering clues at your own pace and following leads based on your discoveries.
Puzzle Solving: Use your skills as a photographer to piece together the mystery, analyzing photographs for hidden messages and connections.
Moral Choices and Consequences: Decisions made throughout the story affect how characters interact with you and can lead to different endings, some not so pleasant.
Notable Qualities
Several notable qualities set it apart as a distinctive interactive narrative experience. These qualities offer players a lens through which to explore 1920s Paris. From the historical setting to the use of photography as a gameplay mechanism, each element has been crafted to engage players into a deeper storyline that encourages multiple playthroughs.
Historical. The setting brings to life the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of 1920s Paris.
Photography as a Gameplay Mechanism. Use of photography in gameplay allows players to uncover clues and piece together the story in visual ways.
Deep Narrative. The multi-layered story presents a compelling mystery and dives into the themes of perception, misinformation, and the impact of technology on society.
Character Interactions. Engage with complex characters, each with their own backstory and relationship to the mystery.
Replayability. Multiple endings based on player choices, encouraging the exploration of different narrative paths.
Target Audience
Fans of murder mysteries, historical movies, and novels.
Players who enjoy narrative-driven games.
Visual novel enthusiasts interested in gameplay mechanics and non-linear storytelling.
Player Character
The Photographer: the player character. You see the game from the photographer’s point-of-view. You never see your own face in the story. (In your own life, do you see ever see your own face, except in a mirror?)
Main Non-Player Characters
Élodie: a nightclub dancer
Marcel: a tormented artist
Mateo (Teo) Monti: missing artist. Last seen: June 13, 1926 at Le Chat Noir nightclub. DOB: January 30, 1893. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Age at disappearance: 33. Monti came to Paris at age 29 in 1922.
Erik. Frenchman, age 59, composer of music, in the last year of his life. Knowledgeable character in the style of Erik Satie.
Edward Thompson: BBC reporter living in Paris.
Secondary Non-Player Characters
Jazz musician. African-American saxophone player living in Paris.
Jazz singer. African-American woman in the style of Josephine Baker or Nora Holt.
Dancer. French female friend of Elodie
Expat writer. American in the style of Hemingway.
Ballet dancer. Man who frequents the club.
Assorted people in the nightclub and on the streets of Paris.
Clayton: modern-day archivist maintaining the collection of photographs taken in 1920s Paris.
Becca Hayes: a filmmaker in 2024 making a documentary about the disappearance of Monti.
Never Fear Paris: A Photographic Mystery is more than a game; it’s an immersive journey into the past, a challenge to the lines between reality and illusion. As a player, you bring this world to a life.