Ludonarrative coherence and ludomusical harmony: the case of Night in the Woods

The article presents two related concepts crucial for the discussionand design of narrative-driven video games, namely ludonarrativecoherence and ludomusical harmony, as represented in Night in the Woods(Infinite Fall, 2017). Ludonarrative coherence encompasses the designchoices that help to integrate the narrative with the gameplay, and ludomusicalharmony represents this concept in relation to game music. In otherwords, in narrative-driven games the story told, the gameworld created,and the game mechanics afforded should enhance, rather than encumber,one another. Night in the Woods is a game that successfully maintains ludonarrativecoherence and harmony, as we illustrate on selected examples ofmechanics that imply limited agency, relatively low level of difficulty, or asense of failure.