Synopsis:
Choose Your Own Adventure novels, described by publisher Chooseco (n.d.) as ‘…the original and best-known gamebooks…’ (para. 1), offered readers the chance to influence the plot, however the rapidly changing infosphere has triggered the emergence of new literary genres and a previously unseen level of literature interactivity (McGill, 2022; Tan & Chik, 2022). Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) is an interactive fiction (IF) that preserves the oral tradition of storytelling- with a contemporary twist. The audio story is delivered digitally through the Amazon Alexa speech AI platform. Designed by Ryan Jordan, pen-named Lincoln Cole, Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.), is a byproduct of technology and the arts, which Alderman (2015) believes is a signifier of brilliant contemporary digital literature. Cole, a science-fiction and horror writer first, attributes his love of gaming in leading him to a career as a software developer (Amazon.com, Inc, 2022). Cole used the Amazon Alexa platform to combine his creative writing and computer skills in a 2016 competition and created a digital storytelling experience that has grown beyond what he had ever imagined (LlitD, 2024). Initially a simple interactive audiobook, Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.), has evolved into a multimodal, immersive narrative experience.
Value Added to the Narrative through Digital Delivery:
Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) is referred to by Cole interchangeably as a novel and a game, indicating the difficulty that some might have with classifying this digital literature artefact. However, McGill (2022) believes that debate should no longer centre around whether games can tell stories, but rather how well it is done. As an intersection between IF and gameplay, narrative based video games challenge traditional definitions of quality literature (Alderman, 2015; McGill, 2022). Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) reads like an IF story; it is released in chapters and narrated in the second person and is defined by opportunities for the reader to make decisions and influence the plot. It is also enhanced with character voices, sound effects and epic music. However, the trait that truly sets this digital literature apart, is its evolutionary arc as a digital format; Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) is driven by user analytics. As readers provide feedback and suggestions to Cole, updated versions of the story are expanded. More recent updates include adding game based options such as real time viewable leaderboards, a chat function to allow readers to interact while playing, 2,000 bespoke sound effects, 7,000 exclusive images and various monetised add-ons to enhance individual character strengths and alter play (Alexa Developers, 2023). Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) can certainly be described as a transmedia storytelling experience that places the reader as the protagonist (Transmedia Storytelling, 2016). Currently, readers can choose to remain playing in an aural only context, engage in the story on screen or broaden their experience to a metaverse inhabited by reader avatars. Combes (2016) recognises that information complexity and density are a ubiquitous characteristic of the World Wide Web, and Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) has certainly evolved to layer many modes of meaning; building the narrative for, and in response to, its readers.
User Experience and Functionality:
When assessing the digital storytelling platform against evaluative criteria that attends to the user experience, such as Haine’s (2015) story app evaluation rubric, Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) performs well. Although the rubric is directed towards apps for young readers, the evaluative criteria is applicable to a broader variety of digital storytelling formats. According to Cole (LlitD, 2024), the program has undergone thousands of updates in response to user analytics, including debugging suggestions from readers, ensuring that it is a mostly glitch free experience. Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) is accessible in a variety of formats to suit user needs and abilities and an unintended benefit of the voice AI platform is exceptional accessibility for readers with a visual impairment or low-level literacy (Alexa Developers, 2023). Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) remains free to use as both an Alexa voice AI IF story and an on-screen experience maximising access.
Evaluative Summary:
In terms of its ability to use the digital platform to enhance the story, McGill (2022) explains that the nature of the decision making embedded within the game, should logically increase reader engagement. This rings true for Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) which has users from around the world, engaging in more than 4000 virtual places and spaces within the story, as well as the real world. Additionally, over time the IF characteristics of the story have evolved from deciding on varying plot paths, to deciding where and how to be immersed in the story as a complex multimodal, virtual environment. Lincoln Cole has produced a stellar example of digital literature. Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) is reflective of the evolving nature of literature in a dynamic information environment, while still ensuring that captivating narrative is at the heart of the transmedia storytelling experience.
References:
Alderman, N. (2015, October 13). Dark Citadel (LC Publishing, n.d.) https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/13/video-games-digital-storytelling-naomi-alderman
Alexa Developers. (2023, Sep 28). Creating interactive stories with Alexa: LC Publishing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF66OG_xog
Amazon.com, Inc (Staff Writer). (2022, Mar 24). How LC Publishing used the Alexa Web API to take The Dark Citadel to the next level. https://developer.amazon.com/en-US/blogs/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/2022/03/lc-publishing-web-api-2022
Choose Your Own Adventure. (n.d.) Choose your own adventure: about us. https://www.cyoa.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop7sAclJXLLjaDEBYxosSaMh0cZ4YD58q0QQxzfxDgPbPJ61exs
LC Publishing. (n.d.). The Dark Citadel [Alexa Skill Game]. Amazon Skills. https://www.amazon.com.au/LC-Publishing-The-Dark-Citadel/dp/B079MH4L12
LlitD. (2024). Last light in the dark: horror, sci-fi, & fantasy stories by Lincoln Cole. Will we find our way through? https://llitd.com
McGill, K. M. (2022). The digital lineage of narrative: analyzing interactive fiction to further understand game narrative. In Bostan, B. (2022). Games and narrative: theory and practice (pp. 77-90). Springer.
Tan, L. & Chik, A. (2022). Between worlds: Extending students’ multimodal literacy practices with augmented reality. Primary English Teachers Association.
Transmedia Storytelling. (2016, January 26). Ep 71: Learning in the wild with transmedia storytelling: How to use transmedia storytelling for informal and blended learning [Audio podcast]. Podomatic. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/transmedia/episodes/2016-01-26T05_46_28-08_00
Two-Gun Pixie. (2020, Apr 6). Gaming with Alexa – the Dark Citadel (Chapter 1). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va_zhvNscZs
University of Houston. (2013). Educational uses of digital storytelling: What is digital storytelling? http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/page.cfm?id=27&cid=27