Forget the big ports like X-Com or Final Fantasy Tactics and you’re left with mediocre stories in most mobile games. Hits like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja excel in gameplay, not story. Even standout indie games like Hunters and Battleheart fall short. I expect almost every mobile game I buy to be light on gameplay and even lighter on story. I thought the same would be true for my game, but The Adventures of Princess and Mr. Whiffle by Patrick Rothfuss changes everything.

The short story starts out in an expected fashion. Princess? Check. Castle? Check. Looming threat? Check. Surprisngly, the story twists and turns and makes you feel one way when you should be feeling another. Even more surprisingly, it is a childrens book. With simple text. And illustrations. This book is as close to a mobile game as you will get. Cutscenes, text and then some sort of tactical gameplay layer. It’s amazing that some sort of real emotion — surprise, anxiety, appreciation — can be created with such simple tools.

Now, we’re not all as clever, or as good at writing, as Patrick Rothfuss. Slowly improving by example is the best we can hope to do, so in that vein I picked up Dreamsongs by George R. R. Martin. This collection of short stories doesn’t apply to gaming in such a 1:1 fashion, but there is still plenty to take from it. My number one take away is that stories don’t have to span kingdoms and armies. An airplane cabin or boat deck can be just as captivating as the world ending from the orc invasion.

Perhaps the best part of story telling is that very little development time is required. Elaborate movies or in game sequences are not required. We can stick to the simple cutscene with bobble heads or the comic strip approach while still adding depth and intrique. Of course, this is easier said than done, but there is definitely something to aspire to.