Uploaded May 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

How did early video games get around the need for complexity in storytelling, and why are their methods still so common? Let's take a look at a narrative shortcut often employed by video games.

Enjoy the series? Support it on Patreon!
patreon.com/gamesaslit101

----------------

Music:
Arcade Academy, by Pixel Head -
soundcloud.com/pixel-head/arcade-acadmey

Art:
Jimi Bonogofsky-Gronseth - jimidoodle@blogspot.com

Game Footage:
longplays.org

Website: gamesasliterature.com
Facebook: facebook.com/gamesasliterature

If you want to know which games we'll be talking about in the future, take a look at the episode schedule: gamesasliterature.com/?page_id=58

If you're inexperienced with video games and don't know some of the terminology in these videos, check out our Gamer's Glossary: gamesasliterature.com/?page_id=56