In this 2008 GDC talk, developers Kim Swift and Erik Wolpaw expound upon the topic of integrating narrative into the game design of Valve's smash 2007 hit Portal.

It was an insightful talk that shed light on Valve's game design and development process at the time, as Wolpaw and Swift walked through their approach to integrating Portal's narrative elements into the game's remarkable series of puzzles and challenges.

It was a great talk that's well worth a watch, so take advantage of the fact that it's currently completely free to watch over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page.