Dramatic Questions

I have mentioned before that your theme should be able to be stated as a question, but I have never linked that question to the literary concept of a dramatic question. This post fixes that.

A dramatic question, also called a major dramatic question, is the source of conflict in a narrative. Dramatic questions are used by authors to guide their work and make sure that their story feels as though it has a point. Actors and directors must consider the major dramatic question of a play in order for the spoken text and the action to feel cohesive. 

Determining the major dramatic question is central to thematic integration in board game design. If you don't know what is driving the events of the theme, they will feel unfocused and random. To determine the major dramatic question, locate the central conflict in your theme. Why do the characters take actions to overcome obstacles? Is it survival? Prestige? Vengeance? What are the stakes of their success or failure? For instance, it is clear in Everdell why you are building a town ahead of winter; what is not clear is why your town needs to be better than the other towns (or districts?). If players didn't interact at all you could say it was because they exist in different places. But players not only compete for resources, they can visit each other's towns. 

When you have determined what the central conflict and stakes of the theme are, double check that they are aligned with the mechanical objectives of the game. If the central conflict of the stated theme is to become the most powerful warlord, but the main action of the game is farming, then the dramatic question is probably the wrong question. If you aren't sure if you have the right question, ask your playtesters "What was this game about?" after they play it. If you really want to keep your original dramatic question, you may have to refocus your mechanics to more closely align with it. 

When the game objectives are aligned with the dramatic question, ask yourself at what point is the question answered. Most of the time, the question should be answered at the very end of the game. If the question of "Who is the strongest?" is answered halfway through the game, your game may be too long, or need catch-up mechanics, or you may need a second dramatic question to carry through to the end game. Ankh is a game that switches the dramatic question from "Which god will prevail?" to "Can the remaining gods together defeat the more powerful god?" We don't see a lot of games that switch dramatic questions partway through, and I think it would be interesting to see that more often. Even games with strong pivots usually have a single dramatic question, such as Clank!'s "Who can get the most treasure AND get out alive?" Here the question has two parts but it is a single driving question. (In my opinion; you might consider this two questions.) Whereas in Ankh you won't know what the second question looks like until you arrive at "the merge." 

If you have a dramatic question with clear stakes that is aligned with the player objectives, consider adding an inciting incident to your game! Read more about that here. This will take your dramatic question and establish it narratively for your players and can make the whole game feel more thematic as a result. Honestly, this is what elevates So, You've Been Eaten from other games of a similar weight and style. 

Dramatic questions don't have to be life or death. They are a guide post to game development by stating why the characters are engaged in the action of the game. They help focus the narrative of the theme. They help ground the game logic. They help craft the thematic hook. If you are interested in thematic integration, start by figuring out the major dramatic question. 

ShippBoard Games is a board game design blog that updates most Mondays.