Guidelines for Ludonarrative Conversion: A Case Study for a Children's Book Converted to a Game

Katryna Starks' 2023 paper, published in the International Journal of Games and Social Impact, proposes a set of guidelines for ludonarrative conversion, the process of adapting a children's book into an interactive game. Its central argument is that books and games differ fundamentally: books are static narratives, while games are driven by player agency and dynamic interaction. The guidelines therefore aim to translate narrative elements into mechanics in a way that preserves the source material's tone and story while respecting how children develop and engage with play.

The framework is organized into three stages: regulatory and screen-time considerations, mechanic selection matched to developmental phases, and the faithful preservation of book elements such as characters, locations, objects, and story beats. The paper draws on industry and health data to ground these choices, including findings that 71% of American children play video games and 77% of parents play with them weekly, and evidence that children who played games before surgery showed lower anxiety than those who received parental support alone. It also references ESRB and PEGI age ratings, noting that 84% of US parents are aware of ESRB ratings and 75% use them. Design guidance draws on Erikson's developmental stages and Jesper Juul's casual game principles, with recommendations such as keeping levels short, scaling difficulty appropriately, and limiting screen time to roughly one hour daily for ages 2 to 5. A summary table maps recommended mechanics to three age groups: 3 to 5, 6 to 11, and 12 to 18.

The framework is demonstrated through a single case study, Ellis and the Cloud Kingdom, which yielded a platformer prototype for ages 6 to 11 and a tower defense level in which enemies are banished rather than killed, consistent with the book's tone. The author acknowledges that the framework is novel but rests on one case, and calls for validation through multiple case studies and research into educational effectiveness. The closing reference list, while extensive, is incomplete and contains several formatting errors.