Player Goals & Conflict in Fan Fiction Games
Gary WhittakerShare
🧠 Player Psychology – Designing Motivations, Conflicts, and Personal Stakes
How to create emotionally compelling character goals in narrative fan games
💬 Hook
Even the best story structure will fall flat if your players don’t care what happens. The secret isn’t complicated—it’s emotional investment. That means giving each character something they want, something they’re hiding, and something they’re afraid to lose.
This article explores how to build motivations, conflicts, and personal stakes into your characters and scenes—so your fan game doesn’t just feel magical, but meaningful.
🔑 The Core Formula
Great character design in narrative games comes down to 3 key questions:
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What does this character want? (External motivation)
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Why can’t they get it easily? (Conflict or tension)
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What happens if they fail? (Emotional stakes)
You can use this framework whether you’re writing roles for a Hogwarts mystery, a Jack Righteous side story, or any fandom-based immersive fiction.
🧭 Motivation Types That Work in Fan Games
To keep things immersive but canon-safe, focus on grounded goals that align with the tone of the world. Here are some proven formats:
| Type | Example | Feels Like... |
|---|---|---|
| 🧩 Truth-Seeker | “I believe I was meant to find this artifact.” | Ideal for prophecy arcs or the ‘hero’ character |
| 🛡️ Protector | “I need to keep them safe—even if they hate me for it.” | Perfect for adult roles or mentors |
| ⚖️ Mediator | “If they turn on each other, everything falls apart.” | Great tension-builder in group play |
| 👣 Legacy-Chaser | “My family was part of this once—I need to know why.” | Use for pure-blood or heritage arcs |
| 🧠 Skeptic | “None of this makes sense. I’ll believe it when I see it.” | Adds friction and realism |
Each player should feel like their goal matters, even if they can’t “win.”
⚔️ Conflict That Feels Natural
Conflict doesn’t require enemies—it requires competing truths.
In your Hogwarts 2025 game, for example:
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One character believes staying at Hogwarts is destiny
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Another believes staying will destroy their family
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A third wants peace—but knows someone is lying
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The fourth thinks magic itself may be the real threat
None are wrong. That’s what makes the decisions hard—and the story rich.
Design your roles so that:
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All players believe they’re doing the right thing
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They can’t all succeed at once
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The pressure builds over time
By Round 9, it should feel like the next choice could change everything.
🧱 The Hidden Stakes Method
Even if players don’t know it yet, every role should carry a hidden cost tied to their motivation:
| Motivation | Hidden Stake |
|---|---|
| Find the truth | You may destroy a relationship in the process |
| Keep someone safe | You might make them hate you |
| Stay together | You might stop them from becoming who they are |
| Protect magic | You may lose faith in it yourself |
You don’t need dice to build drama—just consequences.
🗣️ Player Interaction Mechanics (No Cards Needed)
Add optional prompts like:
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“If you suspect someone is lying, accuse them during Round 4 or 7”
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“If your secret is discovered, you must reveal your backstory aloud”
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“If two players choose opposite paths in Round 10, the GM decides who paid the greater price”
Let emotion and information drive the tension, not just action.
🔥 The Jack Righteous Universe Integration
Jack Righteous stories are built around characters who want to do good—but disagree on what good is. That moral friction shows up in every role I test, even when set inside another universe like Hogwarts.
By using familiar settings to explore unfamiliar choices, I’m preparing players (and readers) for deeper stories ahead—where faith, fear, and destiny collide.
💬 What Motivations Have You Used?
Do you write games, stories, or scenarios where player conflict drives the story forward?
Have you played a fan fiction role where your goal clashed with someone else’s in the best way?
👉 Drop a comment below:
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What emotional stakes work best in the games you love?
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What’s the most meaningful goal you’ve ever roleplayed?
📚 Previous Articles in This Series
1️⃣ Fan Fiction Game Worldbuilding: A Jack Righteous Case Study
2️⃣ What Hogwarts Looks Like in 2025 for Fan Creators
3️⃣ The Marauders’ Legacy: Hidden Lore for Story Creators
4️⃣ The Anti-Muggle Underground – A New Threat with Old Roots
5️⃣ Hogwarts Staff & Allies in 2025 Fan Stories
6️⃣ Mapping Hogwarts – Secret Spaces, Magical Threats, and Lore-Friendly Clues
7️⃣ Magical Objects for Fan Fiction: Canon-Friendly Guide
8️⃣ Why Muggles Might Visit Hogwarts in 2025
9️⃣ Design a Fan Game Without Breaking Canon
🔟 Writing Scenes & Roles for Mystery Fan Games
📚 Coming Next: Building the First Playable Demo – Tips, Tools & Testing Strategy
Now that your world, roles, and tension are ready, it’s time to test it. Next, we’ll look at how to prepare a playable prototype—using a mix of narration, prompt scripting, and collaborative storytelling.