From arcade games to virtual reality, video gaming has mutated and adapted, growing in popularity every year and proving itself a key contender in the story-telling entertainment industry. A form of art that challenges you to think, make decisions based on your moral code, and choose between good and evil—games like Undertale and Dishonoured help me understand myself better as a person in the same way that my reaction towards a deeply thought-provoking book may allow.

Building worlds and stories for games requires a talented storyteller who can create an impactful narrative. As Jonathan Ostenson claims, ‘games of today have come to rely more and more on the elements of fiction in their design,’ (Ostenson, 2013). This intersection of game design and literature raises an important question—what can the publishing industry learn from game writing?”

Rockstar Games GTA stock image, (Trenchophotography, 2020)

One of the co-founders of Rockstar Games, Dan Houser, is a talented storyteller who bridges the gap between games and traditional narratives. Known for his work on Grand Theft Auto (IMDB, 2025), he has recently ventured into a new medium with his book, A Better Paradise. In writing this book, Houser moves from the interactive, player-driven narratives of video games to a more traditional, linear storytelling format. This shift demonstrates his adaptability as a storyteller.

At the London Book Fair 2025, Dan Houser shared his thoughts on how his storytelling process has adapted from screen to page, and how both storytelling mediums share similarities and differences. The scale of storytelling in games is astonishing. For example, the 2018 action-adventure game Red Dead Redemption 2 had ‘half a million lines of dialogue’ (Osili-Wood, 2025)—a testament to the depth of character and narrative development required in creating a video game.

When chair Elle Osili-Wood, Television Presenter and Broadcaster, asked, ‘How does a story change when it becomes interactive?’ Houser explained,

‘You break it apart. I like novels when you don’t fully know enough. In a game, it naturally works that way. You let the player discover things. There’s an element of slight work,’ (Houser, 2025).

Dan Houser discusses his new book at The London Book Fair, (Erin Curran 2025)

During the discussion, Osili-Wood asked the question that all creative writers were waiting on, ‘do you have any advice on building a world that will feel real?’ To this, Houser shared his key writing trick: belief and a strong theme.

‘There has to be something you believe in… it needs an idea that is interesting enough to me, that can bleed out everywhere. You know, the American Dream isn’t quite what you think it is… something I want to wrestle with that I don’t necessarily know the answer to,’ (Houser, 2025).

Video games continue to push the boundaries of storytelling in the 21st century, and as stated by Eric Hayot in his article ‘Video Games & The Novel’,

‘Any true understanding of what narrative aesthetics are doing… is impossible if we do not also understand the work video games are doing on that front,’ (Hayot, 2021).

Ultimately, Houser’s transition from video games to literature exemplifies the connection between the two, and demonstrates the growing recognition of game writing as an important storytelling medium that deserves to be embraced by the publishing industry.

References

Hayout, E. 2021. Title of the Article. Video Games & the Novel. Daedalus, 150(1), pp. 178-187. Available at: Video Games & the Novel (Accessed: 19 March 2025).

Houser, D, Osili-Wood, E. 2025. ‘Storytelling and World Building from Video Games to Audio Fiction to Novels: In Conversation with Dan Houser’. London Book Fair. [in person]. (Attended 12 March 2025).

Ostenson, J. 2013. Exploring the Boundaries of Narrative: Video Games in the English Classroom. The English Journal, 102(6), pp. 71-78. Available at: Exploring the Boundaries of Narrative: Video Games in the English Classroom (Accessed 19 March 2025).

IMDb, 2025. Dan Houser biography. Available at: Dan Houser – Biography – IMDb (Accessed 19 March 2025).

Images

Curran, E. 2025. Storytelling and World Building from Video Games to Audio Fiction to Novels: In Conversation with Dan Houser. Photograph. (Accessed 12 March 2025).

Trenchophotography. 2020. Grand Theft Auto Wallpaper [online]. Available at: Grand Theft Auto Wallpaper – Free Wallpaper Image (Accessed 20 March 2025).