February 28 at AKI.Lab hosted the presentation of "Green Pages", a free practical guide on narrative design for game developers. The project has no analogues in the Russian market and combines the experience of Russian-speaking specialists from various creative disciplines, forming a solid foundation for working with the game narrative.

The Green Pages were implemented as part of the Developer's Red Books project, a unified industry initiative of the VIDO, which collects key information for video game industry teams: from legislation and practical explanations from experienced lawyers to industry analytics and current trends. The project was created so that developers would not waste time searching for disparate data and could focus on creating games. Thus, the VIDO forms a single industry platform that simplifies the work of gaming teams.

"Since narrative is subjective by nature, we were not afraid of subjectivity in composing the collection. The authors share their vision and experience, and we, with some editing, maintain the author's style. The “Green Pages” do not rely on foreign textbooks, because duplicating someone else's conceptual base, born of a different mentality, is utopia. The sections of the collection highlight the most problematic aspects in domestic development. For example, what is the basis of the profession, what questions arise at the pre-production stage, or what “pitfalls" may be. I place special emphasis on non—verbal means of expression to emphasize that narrative is not just words. Pay attention to the authors section, because unique specialists from both the video game industry and related arts have worked on the project," commented Asya Chaschinskaya, editor—in-chief of Green Pages.

23 authors, representatives of theatrical art, screenwriting, animation and other creative fields took part in the creation of the "Green Pages". At the moment, 46 articles have been published in the collection. The materials are a unique set of original texts from industry experts, combining theoretical foundations and practical experience.

"It is important for VIDO to build bridges between different industries and directions in order to shape the sustainable future of the industry together. One of the key tracks of our development is scientific and research activities, from sociological research such as “Gaming in Russia 2026” to practical industry projects. Green Pages is another such project, which we hope will become a useful tool for gaming teams," said Alexander Bodrov, Deputy General Director of the VIDO.

The collection covers key topics of narrative design: from high-concepts and loglines to complex, debatable issues that teams face in real-world development. 

The project is conceived as an evolving platform. The "Green Pages" will be supplemented with new materials, expanded with fresh topics and attract new authors, reflecting the changes and needs of the industry. The project aims to help Russian developers speak the same language of terms and approaches when creating a game narrative, one of the key elements of a video game. The presentation was supported by the Moscow Creative Industries Agency.