In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, I sit down with Batuhan Gözlüklü for a conversation about quest design, narrative ownership, and what it means to earn creative control one decision at a time. We talk about how missions and objectives become the backbone of player experience, how narrative can stay present at every layer of development, and why “healthy escapism” might be one of the most underrated design goals we have.
Together, we dig into how a narrative designer can think like a systems builder, how to avoid story getting flattened into “just content,” and how to keep meaning and emotion alive even when scope, tools, or production realities get tight. Batuhan also shares what he is building with his studio Newmind Interactive, including the mindset behind shipping small, polished releases as stepping stones toward bigger worlds.
🎯 Topics Include:
- Quest design as narrative structure, not just task lists
- Building player motivation through objectives, pacing, and payoff
- Keeping narrative connected across design decisions and production constraints
- How to grow creative ownership and influence over time
- What “healthy escapism” looks like in practice, and why it matters
👤 Guest: Batuhan Gözlüklü, game writer and narrative designer, and co-founder of Newmind Interactive.
📌 Perfect for: Narrative designers, quest designers, indie developers, tabletop creators, and anyone trying to build worlds that actually hold onto the player.
Batuhan's Links:
-> Newmind Interactive
-> LinkedIn
The Corner of Story and Game:
-> Discord
-> Facebook
-> Instagram
-> Bluesky
-> LinkedIn
-> Email: gerald@storyandgame.com
#QuestDesign #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #GameDesign #IndieGameDev #LevelDesign #Storytelling #PlayerExperience #CreativeProcess #Worldbuilding #BatuhanGozluklu #TheCornerOfStoryAndGamePodcast
