The Design of Firewatch's Dialogue System: A Focus on Choice and Consequence

In the world of video games, few titles have managed to balance choice and consequence as masterfully as Campo Santo's Firewatch. The game's narrative-driven design relies heavily on player agency, allowing players to make decisions that impact the story and its characters. One key example of this is the game's dialogue system, particularly in regards to the 2nd ending.

According to Remo, one of the game's developers, the team placed a great emphasis on ensuring that Delilah's reactions served as a reward or punishment for the player's actions. This was achieved through clever design choices, such as allowing players to take extra food and supplies from supply boxes. However, this wasn't always the case.

Initially, the team had considered implementing a more binary choice system, where players would be presented with explicit options and asked to make a decision. However, they eventually decided against this approach, opting instead for a more implicit design.

'We didn't feel like telegraphing it in such an obvious way was necessary, or improved the experience for the player,' Remo explains. 'So we left it as a more implicit decision.'

As a result, players are never explicitly presented with a choice regarding the extra food and supplies. Instead, they must make decisions based on their character's actions, without being told exactly what those consequences will be.

The prototype for this system was a simple input mechanism that allowed players to choose whether or not to take their allotted supplies from a supply box. However, this was eventually scrapped in favor of the more subtle approach used in the final game.

Firewatch's emphasis on choice and consequence is part of what sets it apart from other narrative-driven games. By removing explicit choices and instead relying on player agency, the game creates a sense of immersion and realism that draws players deeper into its world.

Ultimately, Firewatch's dialogue system is a testament to the power of clever design and the importance of leaving things implicit. By allowing players to make decisions without being told exactly what those consequences will be, the game creates a more engaging and immersive experience that will keep players talking long after they've finished playing.

Firewatch 2nd ending