In video games, there's a particular style of storytelling that's often praised by critics. It's called environmental storytelling. As opposed to dialog, voice-over narration, cut scenes, or scrolling text, environmental storytelling sets up the static -- often times still-life -- elements of a scene, and allows a gamer to explore the environment, piecing the story together for themselves.
These elements tend to be obvious. The gamer might stand outside the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. and see picket signs abandoned in a panic. In a dry gutter along an empty street, the scattered picket signs might read "The End Is Seriously, Incredibly Nigh!" and "Mexico's fine! Get these Martians outta here!" and a gamer could ascertain that America sustained an otherworldly, alien invasion.
Occasionally, the elements of environmental storytelling are more subtle, less forced. Like the elements you, Baby Estelle, observe as you navigate your environment.
You pick up a crispy Maple leaf on the foyer tiles. To you, it's a leaf. You've seen them on trees. But you'll eventually learn that a crispy Maple leaf on the foyer tiles means that it's fall, that the temperature outside is dropping, and with the holidays being seriously, incredibly nigh, your grandmas and grandpas will be ogling you soon.
You stand in front of the bookshelf and tug at the spine of small, gray book, The Elements of Style, and let it drop to the floor. To you, it's a book. You've seen them lined up together, but they're much more dynamic on the ground. You'll eventually learn, however, that your mom and dad harbor a linguistic love borne on laughter, hurt, silliness, and sobriety. They email, voice mail, snail mail, and even Facebook with an unprecedented respect for the written word.
You sidle along the latte-colored interior of your home, and look up to see swords mounted on the walls. To you, they might be nothing. But your mom and dad will soon tuck those away in the garage to remove their hazard from your widening circle of exploration. And some day you may find those swords in the garage and wonder what purpose they served. That day you may learn about your dad's regard for martial arts. Or the Spanish blade he brought back from Medieval Times restaurant when he was ten. Or the time your dad gave a jagged-looking blade to your mom as a Christmas gift before they were married, and how your mom liked the gift, but also how your dad failed to notice the dark, goat-headed imagery worked into its pommel.
There's a lot to take in with environmental storytelling. A lot for a gamer. A lot for a baby. Until it all gels together, your mom and dad will use a lot of dialog and a lot of voice-over narration to explain what's contained in these still-life dioramas you're exploring.
