In this short research paper, I explore the space of interactive fiction (IF) - stories where the reader makes decisions - and share the strength of its use. Players are more likely to stay engaged and immersed when they believe there are real stakes to their decisions.
Defying Will is an interactive fiction in its demo stages that showcases how a player can purposefully interact with a story, and it responds to them. The initial design for this interactive project was to create a fiction where the player takes on the role of a character with OCD. As someone who struggles with the impacts of OCD, I felt it was a personable topic to explore. The first draft of the IF was dramatically more grounded and realistic, but that level of engagement is often a turn off or deterrent for some players. Instead, I opted for an allegoric approach where the main character is battling an abrupt and intrusive AI implant that tries to influence their actions.