I don’t have much of what I would call ‘a flare for the dramatic’. I’m not amazing at the dramatic reveal, and I prefer foreshadowing events over surprise twists.
I don’t know if that’s something to do with me or how I read plots or anything. The first M. Night Shyamalan film I saw, The Village, wasn’t a mystery to me – I immediately guessed based on the trailer what the twist ending would be.
Before I knew he was famous for twist endings.
Before I knew how painfully bad he can make a film.
(I’m sure he has fans, and I’m sure that not all his films are bad, but I’ve avoided most of them somehow).
I’ve tried throwing big plot twists into my games before, and generally they fall flat. Players don’t like them or lose engagement with it afterwards, and then games tend to fall apart.
Or there’s a look of confusion, because I communicated the pieces well enough, or no one remembers the clue I laid out a couple of sessions previously, etc. etc.
Is there a way to do them right? Has anyone managed them well?
jot jot ïota 