Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
By featuring markets with prices that fluctuate in response to changing conditions, games can succinctly express information about the state of the game-world — the relative scarcity of resources, the concerns & appetites of NPCs, even the repercussions of the player's own actions — all without saying a word. In this talk, I will explore the use of prices for storytelling and look at some of the ways roguelikes and other games could (and do) make use of this device, as well as some reasons why scenario-sensitive prices may not be appropriate for certain games.
By featuring markets with prices that fluctuate in response to changing conditions, games can succinctly express information about the state of the game-world — the relative scarcity of resources, the concerns & appetites of NPCs, even the repercussions of the player's own actions — all without saying a word. In this talk, I will explore the use of prices for storytelling and look at some of the ways roguelikes and other games could (and do) make use of this device, as well as some reasons why scenario-sensitive prices may not be appropriate for certain games.
