Kinokorolcinema inside the game: a guide to story-driven games

An independent reference about story-driven video games. We do not show films, host files or viewing links, and we sell nothing; we are not connected with the former site on this domain.

Terms

Game terms

Talk about story-driven games quickly picks up its own vocabulary: some of it came from film, and some was invented by players themselves. If a discussion mentions a "point of no return", an "unreliable narrator" or a "quick-time event" and you're not sure what it means, look here. Each term is explained briefly and without unnecessary jargon.

Film words shift their meaning in games: here the camera gets a second operator, and that's you.

— From the editors

How this glossary works: terms are grouped into three topics and explained without reference to individual games. The same mechanic is sometimes called different things by different developers.

Staging and camera

Cutscene
A staged sequence during which control is usually taken away from the player, while the camera and characters act as the authors intended.
Motion capture
A way of recording a live performer's movements and facial expressions and transferring them to a character. It's what makes characters move and look natural.
Long take
A scene filmed as if without a single cut: the camera follows the character continuously, and playable stretches flow into staged ones without a transition.
Voice-over
The voice of a narrator or character heard over the action, commenting on events, memories or thoughts.
Photo mode
A freely movable camera that pauses the game and lets you choose the angle, focus and filter for a shot.
Camera angle
The point from which the camera views the scene. A low angle makes a character look more imposing; a high angle makes them look more vulnerable.

Story and choice

Branching
A story structure in which the player's decisions lead to different scenes, storylines and endings.
Ending
The conclusion of the story. If the plot branches, there may be several endings, each reached by its own chain of decisions.
Quick-time event
A moment in the middle of a scene when you have to press the button shown on screen in time. Success determines whether the scene continues as planned.
Point of no return
A moment in the story after which you can no longer go back to earlier areas or finish what you started. Games often warn you about it in advance.
Unreliable narrator
A character or off-screen voice you can't fully trust: they make mistakes, hold things back or deceive themselves.
Interactive drama
A genre in which the story is built from scenes, dialogue and choices, and the player's actions come down to decisions and short moments of reaction.

Sound, text and accessibility

Subtitles
On-screen text of the dialogue. Subtitles help you follow the story when the music is loud or the language is unfamiliar.
Sound captions
Notes in the subtitles about meaningful sounds: footsteps, knocking, a distant siren. They matter for players who are hard of hearing or play with the sound off.
Speaker names
A label next to a subtitle line showing who is speaking.
Journal
A menu section that collects objectives, notes you've found, information about characters and a brief recap of events.
Spoiler
Story information that reveals twists or the ending before the player has reached them on their own.
Age rating
The marks 0+, 6+, 12+, 16+ and 18+: in Russia they are used to label information products, including games. The mark on the cover tells you which age the content is intended for.
  • Mechanics

    Cutscenes and skipping them, quick-time events, branching dialogue, the journal and notes, saves and accessibility.

  • Genres

    Interactive drama, dialogue-driven adventure, investigation, story-driven horror, the "walking sim" and wordless stories.

  • Questions

    Answers about this reference, story and choices, accessibility, age ratings and family agreements.

  • How to judge

    Your own criteria, no ratings: story and characters, weight of choices, pacing, accessibility, length and fair payment.

What we rely on

  • Federal Law No. 436-FZ of 29 December 2010 (in general terms)
  • Accessibility settings in game menus (in general terms)
  • Kinokorol editorial materials

We describe mechanics and settings in general terms. Every game has its own menus, option names and set of accessibility features, and they can change after an update, so check the game's own help pages and settings for exact details.