DOWN THE ALLEYWAY
Narrative Design & Interactive Writing Case Study
Game Writing SIG ArcJam 2025 (72 hours)
Game Writing SIG ArcJam 2025 (72 hours)
Overview
Down the Alleyway is a short, branching interactive narrative developed in 72 hours for the Game Writing SIG ArcJam 2025. The jam’s resilience-themed prompt inspired an intimate, character-driven story grounded in a gritty cyberpunk setting. My primary design goal was to craft a complete narrative arc within a tightly controlled scope: a defined beginning, middle, and two distinct endings, each shaped by the protagonist’s emotional and moral choices.
The final project was built in Arcweave and published on itch.io using a custom HTML embed. It features multiple narrative paths, custom illustrations, and a focus on atmosphere, tone, and internal character conflict.
Concept
At its core, Down the Alleyway is about resilience in a hostile world.
The story follows Connor Vale, a partially deaf food-taster working for a megacorporation in a decaying cyberpunk city. After a violent assault, he stumbles into an abandoned warehouse where he discovers a dying tree and a trio of displaced fae beings struggling to survive. As Connor chooses whether to help them, the player navigates emotional vulnerability, risk, empathy, and the weight of small choices in an unforgiving environment.
I wanted the narrative to feel grounded, human, and intimate, driving the player toward a moment where resilience becomes an act of care.
Design Goals
1. Keep the scope small and achievable
With only 72 hours and a narrative-first jam, scope control was the priority.
I intentionally limited:
I intentionally limited:
number of scenes
number of characters (Connor + 3 fae + 1 supporting NPC)
number of endings (2)
number of environments (warehouse, subway alley, apartment)
This allowed me to focus on emotional arcs, tone, and character voice without losing time to structural complexity.
2. Deliver a complete narrative arc
I structured the story around a clear, traditional progression:
Act I – Setup: Connor’s assault and discovery of the warehouse
Act II – Confrontation: Meeting the fae, learning their backstory, and making a moral decision
Act III – Resolution: Four possible paths
Act II – Confrontation: Meeting the fae, learning their backstory, and making a moral decision
Act III – Resolution: Four possible paths
This ensured the story felt whole and purposeful despite the tight jam constraints.
3. Craft meaningful branching without scope creep
I used “converging branches” to maintain player agency while still keeping production manageable:
moment-to-moment choices affect tone
emotional responses shift dialogue
key decisions determine the ending
supporting choices build internal consistency and character nuance
This approach creates a sense of interactivity without an exponential narrative explosion.
Tools & Pipeline
Arcweave (core narrative engine)
branching logic
character nodes
conditional pathways
scene structuring
embedding images and audio
playtest mode
Itch.io
custom HTML wrapper to embed Arcweave’s playable preview
polished project page
short description, content warnings, credits
Art
Create simple character illustrations using Procreate
Audio
curated ambient SFX for optional mood enhancement
Writing & Narrative
I approached the writing with emphasis on:
1. Character vulnerability
2. Internal conflict
3. Emotional pacing
4. Sensory detail filtered through Connor’s partial deafness
5. Small, grounded acts of kindness
6. Subtle worldbuilding without exposition dumps
7. Resonance with the jam’s theme of resilience
The fae characters each reflect different emotional tones:
Nila — defensive, mischievous, survival-mechanic mindset
Orin — gentle, caretaker role
Sela — oldest, empathetic, burdened by responsibility
Orin — gentle, caretaker role
Sela — oldest, empathetic, burdened by responsibility
Connor’s interactions with them form the emotional core of the story.
Challenges
1. Time pressure (72 hours)
Balancing writing, illustration, design, and technical setup required strict discipline and continuous reprioritization.
2. Arcweave’s limitations (free plan)
Without Web Export, I had to develop a custom HTML solution to embed the prototype into itch.io.
3. Maintaining emotional clarity within limited scenes
Every line had to serve character, tone, or pacing without excess.
4. Creating a polished experience without over-scoping
I focused on quality over quantity, ensuring small scenes were detailed and cohesive.
What I Learned
1. Effective scope management is fundamental to finishing narrative projects under extreme constraints.
2. Strong emotional storytelling does not require complexity, just clarity and intent.
3. A limited toolset (Arcweave free) can still produce a powerful experience with creativity and adaptability.
The Final Experience
The finished project is a short branching narrative playable directly on itch.io, combining:
1. Interactive writing
2. Custom illustrations
3. Atmospheric tension
4. Four emotionally divergent endings
5. A complete story loop that rewards empathy and attention
It captures a moment of connection in a decaying world and reflects my ongoing dedication to narrative design as both craft and discipline.
Feel free to play it on your browser by accessing its page on itch.io: