How can you integrate story into games without common pitfalls?

Maybe you already have an idea of what type of game mechanic your game idea is built around. It is then useful to think of what problem or need this solves for your audience. Is it feeling smart from puzzle solving? is it escaping into a calm worry-free beautiful roaming world full of simple customization choices, is it letting out steam in an action game, is it belonging to a group of friends through a common purpose? Knowing that can help you make the right design choices down the line. It will help you navigate what feels right and what feels wrong and you will be able to articulate why, by always referring back to the specific type of player you are designing for. It can also help you streamline your communication.

Whatever structure you follow, it is still useful to look at three-act structure. Since you already have decided you need a story for your game, it shouldn't just be one scene following the other. You have to look at where are your set-off point, your plot points (pivots), a point of no return, your 2nd plot point, etc. It's these surprising pivots in the story that make it feel like a story. Something unexpected happens and the protagonist(s) now have to act on it. The midpoint or point of no return is also important for a player. Can you create a moment where they feel they are fully emotionally committed to seeing this through? No matter what. These principles of basic storytelling are great to consider for narrative-based games as well

The more of the story that can be played the better. This should give the player a feeling of autonomy and most importantly agency. It is the player's actions and motivations that guide the play and move the story forward. This is easier said than done of course. It helps if the story is built around the key play/game mechanics. In Pokemon that would be Catch-Evolve-Battle (simply put). The story in the game(s) (and content) is constantly evolving around that and thus it easily feels like you are playing out that story making your own choices.

Firstly, ensure that the story complements the gameplay rather than detracts from it. The narrative should enhance the player experience by providing context, motivation, and emotional engagement without interrupting the flow of gameplay excessively. Secondly, focus on interactive storytelling that allows players to shape the narrative through their actions and decisions. Provide meaningful choices and consequences that impact the outcome of the story, fostering a sense of agency and immersion. Thirdly, prioritize player engagement by delivering a cohesive and well-paced narrative that maintains momentum and avoids unnecessary exposition or filler content.

Nope that’s movies. In games it’s “Do, don’t show”. Story that the player uncovers by their actions is the unique attribute that games have which makes them different than movies. By contrast games that follow a cinematic model of elaborate cut scenes intermixed with levels often fall flat, or worse into ludonarrative dissonance. Always remember when designing story for games that the player is not an actor on a stage and you have almost no editorial control. Tightly binding the player to “doing” the story because they want to is how you engage them emotionally and provide a great experience.

If you know your audience already you can build different hypotheses about what to expect from different profiles within the target group. Maybe it would be beneficial to test with adjacent groups to see if it would be possible to expand with only a few adjustments.