What Does a Game Storyboard Look Like?
A game storyboard looks like a sequence of illustrated panels or frames, very similar to a comic strip, that visually maps out the flow of a game from start to finish. Each panel in a storyboard for a game represents a specific moment—such as a level introduction, a character interaction, a dialogue scene, or an action sequence—and often includes sketches, arrows, and notes describing what happens. A gaming storyboard doesn’t need to be perfect artwork; most of the time, it is made of rough sketches, stick figures, or simple layouts that show the scene, characters, background, and user interface elements. Alongside the drawings, you will usually see short text descriptions explaining movement, sound effects, camera angles, or player choices. For example, a video game storyboard may show one panel with the hero entering a dungeon, another with a battle against a monster, and the next with a cutscene revealing part of the story. A computer game storyboard might also include extra details like menu screens, tutorial instructions, and UI transitions to guide the player. Many teams create their storyboard game in a grid or timeline format, where the story flows from left to right or top to bottom, making it easy to see the progression of the game. Depending on the genre, a storyboard game can also include branching paths, showing what happens if the player makes different choices, like taking a shortcut, solving a puzzle, or failing a mission. In short, a game storyboard looks like a visual script—a combination of drawings and notes—that gives everyone on the team a clear picture of how the game will look, feel, and play before it is developed.
