ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on examining the role of game mechanics as a way to express narrative and meet the expectations of mobile markets without sacrificing gameplay or story by Looking at two nonstory-oriented games, Ephemerid: A Musical Adventure and Gemini. Gemini focuses mostly on emotions and feelings that help players relate to the story. Ephemerid's Matt notes that storyboards "were a simple but essential tool throughout development." Although the Gemini developers didn't use the word "friendly" to describe their mechanics, their design philosophies agree with the Ephemerid design team's goals. It's noteworthy that both development teams also discuss the importance of music in their designs for conveying emotion and story. Adding in the music early in the design helped guide Gemini throughout playtesting, and Ephemerid is a music-centered game, so the music guides the mechanics and experience. Both design teams focused on making the mechanics work, not just functionally, but also emotionally and narratively.
