GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Game Narrative Summit: 'Fallout': World Building for the Mainstream
William Shen (Lead Designer, Unknown Worlds)
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Game Narrative
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
The TV adaptation of Fallout attracted over 65 million viewers and 16 Emmy nominations. How did a niche video game from the 1990s become a mainstream cultural sensation? What lessons can we learn about how to build worlds that can endure across different mediums and different creative teams? Join Will Shen, former Design Director of Bethesda Game Studios, as he shares his almost 15 years of experience working in the Fallout universe. Learn what makes an audience care about your world, no matter how weird it may seem to people at first.
Takeaway
Attendees will take away five key rules for world building using Fallout as an example.
Intended Audience
A talk for designers, writers, and world builders of all skill levels.
