Game Narrative Kaleidoscope Podcast Episode 2: Darby McDevitt
Mar 4, 2026
Darby McDevitt, veteran game writer known for Assassin's Creed, shares ideas on character arcs and his 'Flawless Victory' essay. He explores making mechanics reflect character flaws and using opportunity cost to create stakes. He discusses crafting believable supporting characters and when to limit player choice to protect dramatic impact.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Gameplay Can Undermine Drama
- Linear action-adventure games often promise mechanical power that cancels narrative risk, making drama hard to achieve.
- Darby argues treating gameplay verbs as the protagonist's selfish strengths reveals conflict when those strengths oppose their deeper goals.
Make Player Verbs Serve As Character Flaws
- Do design the protagonist so their mechanical strengths are also their flaws or distractions.
- Darby suggests making the player's verbs embody selfishness, e.g., a poker player's skill wrecking their social life, to create inherent conflict.
Black Flag Turns The Player Into The Villain
- In Black Flag Darby made Edward Kenway the real antagonist by letting pirate play grow his selfishness.
- The longer you pirate, the more Edward becomes the villain, subverting player expectations about heroism.