Five Design Patterns for Integrating Story Play’s Therapeutic Narrative Elements with Interactive Technology

Abstract

Interactive narratives show significant potential for mental health, yet their design relies heavily on traditional Narrative Therapy or CBT. Story Play, a metaphor- and play-based narrative therapy proposed by Mills and Crowley, remains underexplored in its integration with interactive technology, presenting a distinct research gap. This article investigates how existing interactive narratives work (e.g., Video games, VR film) integrate the therapeutic storytelling principles of Story Play. This study employs a mixed-method qualitative approach. First, a comparative analysis argues that Story Play is more suitable for integration with interactive narratives than traditional Narrative Therapy. Following this, 16 interactive works were selected for case studies based on Story Play's narrative techniques. Finally, these cases were analyzed using thematic analysis. The primary contribution is the proposal of five design patterns that summarize the integration of Story Play’s narrative techniques with interactive narratives. These patterns provide a new perspective for the design of "therapeutic games/XR works”. Also, these patterns offer guidance for artists, HCI researchers, designers, and psychologists creating therapeutic interactive applications and researching the healing value of interactive works.