A captivating narrative is a vital component of any memorable gaming experience, as it has the power to draw players into the game world and make them truly care about the characters and their journey. Conversely, a lackluster narrative can cause players to lose interest and ultimately abandon the game due to insufficient engagement. Even with exceptional graphics, history shows that games usually need a strong story to hook the player.

Player retention is critical in motivating them to see the game through to its conclusion and explore every twist and turn along the way.

When we embarked on our Spheriums journey, we didn’t anticipate the challenges of crafting the game’s story. In our naivety, we thought it would be a breeze – but we couldn’t have been more wrong!

Throughout development, we found ourselves rewriting parts of the game multiple times, struggling to find that perfect balance. In addition, feedback from playtesting sessions revealed that players felt disconnected from the characters, which made the game less engaging than it should have been.

One of the most challenging aspects was nailing the beginning: introducing characters and setting up the journey without giving too much away. We wanted to keep players eager to play and uncover the game’s secrets.

Eventually, we recognized that our two-person team couldn’t handle the narrative on our own and we must acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses. While we had a solid concept for Spheriums’ story, our ability to translate those ideas into a concise and engaging narrative wasn’t our strongest suit, so we sought help.
That’s when we met the talented Jeffrey Doka, who has been a game-changer for Spheriums. He listened to our backstory, crystallized the narrative, and helped create and write a solid, evolving story for a better gameplay experience while hooking the player.

Although the early access version of Spheriums has yet to incorporate the updated story, we’re diligently working on integrating it for the upcoming update. For Spheriums, it’s crucial to strike the right balance in storytelling, providing sufficient information upfront as part of the game tutorial while also revealing key plot points and concealing certain elements to encourage players to explore and uncover all the hidden secrets.

To delve deeper into the story and background of the game, feel free to visit this page.

We learned from our experience with Spheriums the importance of investing time in the story early in the development process. In addition, conducting playtesting sessions to evaluate whether the story resonates with players and hooks them is essential. In our case, we waited too long to address issues with the narrative, which led to delays in the overall development.

We wanted to share this experience with fellow developers and enthusiasts, hoping our insights might help others avoid making the same mistakes. Remember to invest time in your story and iterate based on feedback – it can make all the difference!

Nick, the coder!