Act Template

[Arc Title] Seq [#] | Sequence Title 
 Narrative Purpose 
 
 Brief overview of what this step accomplishes in the story and gameplay flow. 
 
 Define emotional tone (panic, calm, discovery, dread). 
 Identify immediate narrative or character goal. 
 Specify any mechanical or tutorial purpose. 
 
 Narrative Breakdown 
 
 Each step is divided into beats , which are self‑contained moments of action, emotion, or transition. 
 
 Use as many beats as the pacing requires (sometimes one sustained beat, sometimes three to five). 
 Each beat should mark a change in objective, tone, or control state. 
 Keep every beat anchored in what the player feels and does . 
 Player is not voiced, they choose interaction options dialogue style 
 
 [Beat] | [Title] 
 Base description of the beat in general terms—what the player feels and does . 
 
 
 Camera: Describe the player's viewpoint, camera control state or Full Control if not specified. 
 
 Audio: List ambient sounds or musical cues tied to this moment or "None". 
 
 Environmental Cues: Lighting, motion, or visual storytelling that defines the space or "None". 
 
 Objective / Task: What the player is trying to accomplish in this beat or "None". 
 
 Player Feedback: Haptic, visual, or dialogue responses to success or delay or "None". 
 
 Actions: 
 
 Bullet list of what happens in this beat. 
 
 Dialogue: 
 
 Short sample lines or reference tone for interaction. tone-driven, minimally voiced. Player is not voiced—they choose interaction options. 
 
 Branches (if conditional variations): 
 
 Use when the beat changes depending on previous actions, variables, or states. 
 
 Branches inherit all parent beat data (Camera/Audio/etc.) by default. 
 
 Override only what changes : Add any data point (Gameplay, Audio, Environmental Cues, etc.). 
 Minimum fields: Condition , Variation , Transition . Add NPC or system responses if applicable. 
 
 
 Branch A – [Condition Summary] 
 
 
 Condition: [Trigger or state dependency, e.g., "If player saved NPC earlier"]. 
 
 Variation: [How the beat differs—scene tone, dialogue, animations, or objectives]. 
 
 Transition: [Next beat/step or "None"]. 
 
 
 [Repeat for additional branches] 
 Choices (if decision beat): 
 
 Insert after Dialogue using horizontal rules (---). Use 2-4 options maximum. 
 
 Options inherit all parent beat data (Camera/Audio/etc.) by default. 
 
 Override only what changes : Add any data point (Gameplay, Result, Camera, Audio, etc.) as needed— do not restate unchanged elements . 
 Minimum fields: Gameplay/Result , Purpose , Transition . NPC Response optional. 
 
 
 Option A – [Descriptive Choice Title] 
 
 
 Gameplay: [Specific mechanics/outcomes]. 
 
 Purpose: [Narrative/mechanical intent]. 
 
 Transition: [Next beat/step or "None"]. 
 
 
 [Repeat for additional options] 
 Triggers: 
 
 Bullet list of triggers this beat can fire. 
 
 Notes: 
 
 Bullet list of any notes (may be omitted if no notes). 
 
 
 Narrative Intent 
 
 Explain why the step exists in narrative terms. 
 
 How it develops relationship dynamics. 
 What theme or mystery it reinforces. 
 What knowledge or tone shift the player carries forward.