{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7160312236","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","title":"The Garden of Forking Paths: Narrative Arc-Conditioned Gameplay Planning","display_name":"The Garden of Forking Paths: Narrative Arc-Conditioned Gameplay Planning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-05-02","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7160312236","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5124145019","display_name":"Yunge Wen","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wen, Yunge","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135310939","display_name":"Chenliang Huang","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Huang, Chenliang","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135320334","display_name":"Hangyu Zhou","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhou, Hangyu","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135331607","display_name":"Zhuo Zeng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zeng, Zhuo","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5120718284","display_name":"Chun Ming Louis Po","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Po, Chun Ming Louis","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5135342145","display_name":"Julian Togelius","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Togelius, Julian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5040885343","display_name":"Timothy Merino","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3278-0430"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Merino, Timothy","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5088834644","display_name":"Sam Earle","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3783-9486"},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Earle, Sam","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11574","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Games","score":0.9868999719619751,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11574","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence in Games","score":0.9868999719619751,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11197","display_name":"Digital Games and Media","score":0.003700000001117587,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10906","display_name":"AI-based Problem Solving and Planning","score":0.0015999999595806003,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/narrative","display_name":"Narrative","score":0.8700000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/archetype","display_name":"Archetype","score":0.5515000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/graph","display_name":"Graph","score":0.4740999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/narrative-network","display_name":"Narrative network","score":0.426800012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/video-game","display_name":"Video game","score":0.3817000091075897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/narrative-structure","display_name":"Narrative structure","score":0.37549999356269836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/constraint","display_name":"Constraint (computer-aided design)","score":0.36800000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/branching","display_name":"Branching (polymer chemistry)","score":0.3644999861717224}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199033989","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1318295","display_name":"Narrative","level":2,"score":0.8700000047683716},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7160000205039978},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49848784","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131714","display_name":"Archetype","level":2,"score":0.5515000224113464},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107457646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207434","display_name":"Human\u2013computer interaction","level":1,"score":0.5134999752044678},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C132525143","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141488","display_name":"Graph","level":2,"score":0.4740999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C63985673","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6966216","display_name":"Narrative network","level":5,"score":0.426800012588501},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C49774154","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131765","display_name":"Multimedia","level":1,"score":0.4065000116825104},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3018412434","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7889","display_name":"Video game","level":2,"score":0.3817000091075897},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C78015137","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q847829","display_name":"Narrative structure","level":3,"score":0.37549999356269836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776036281","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48769818","display_name":"Constraint (computer-aided design)","level":2,"score":0.36800000071525574},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206175624","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q595731","display_name":"Branching (polymer chemistry)","level":2,"score":0.3644999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C54276265","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1061635","display_name":"Video game development","level":3,"score":0.3310000002384186},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C92259163","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5370763","display_name":"Emergent gameplay","level":5,"score":0.3165999948978424},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121684516","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7600677","display_name":"Computer graphics (images)","level":1,"score":0.3156999945640564},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C12772571","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1965350","display_name":"Narrative criticism","level":4,"score":0.3095000088214874},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C503285160","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q858057","display_name":"Game design","level":2,"score":0.30720001459121704},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C107038049","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q35986","display_name":"Aesthetics","level":1,"score":0.29789999127388},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2946000099182129},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.2849000096321106},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136764020","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q466","display_name":"World Wide Web","level":1,"score":0.2750999927520752},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2723826","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q675281","display_name":"Game studies","level":2,"score":0.2687000036239624},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C86297840","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6045397","display_name":"Interactive design","level":2,"score":0.2635999917984009},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776900844","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8028383","display_name":"Witness","level":2,"score":0.2635999917984009},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C170828538","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1751513","display_name":"Game mechanics","level":2,"score":0.2630000114440918},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C36464697","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q451553","display_name":"Visualization","level":2,"score":0.25769999623298645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C62611344","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1062658","display_name":"Node (physics)","level":2,"score":0.25440001487731934}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2605.01245","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"score":0.6820677518844604,"display_name":"Sustainable cities and communities","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/11"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Narrative":[0],"archetypes":[1,33],"(e.g.,":[2],"Hero's":[3],"Journey,":[4],"Three-act":[5],"structure)":[6],"provide":[7],"universal":[8],"story":[9],"structures":[10],"that":[11,49,92],"resonate":[12],"across":[13],"cultures":[14],"and":[15,17],"media":[16],"are":[18],"important":[19],"for":[20,44],"video":[21],"game":[22],"storytelling,":[23],"yet":[24],"existing":[25],"LLM-based":[26],"methods":[27],"lack":[28],"explicit":[29],"use":[30],"of":[31,63,83],"these":[32],"in":[34],"procedurally":[35],"generated":[36],"games.":[37],"We":[38,86],"propose":[39],"Forking":[40],"Garden,":[41],"a":[42,60,70],"framework":[43],"narrative":[45],"arc-conditioned":[46],"gameplay":[47,84],"planning":[48],"generates":[50,59],"branching":[51],"games":[52],"from":[53],"user-provided":[54],"storylines.":[55],"Our":[56],"approach":[57],"first":[58],"diverse":[61],"pool":[62],"independent":[64],"nodes,":[65],"then":[66],"assembles":[67],"them":[68],"into":[69],"dungeon":[71],"graph":[72],"via":[73],"arc-guided":[74],"constraint":[75],"algorithms,":[76],"where":[77],"each":[78],"node":[79],"achieves":[80],"multimodal":[81],"alignment":[82],"elements.":[85],"develop":[87],"an":[88],"end-to-end":[89],"interactive":[90],"system":[91],"instantiates":[93],"the":[94],"framework.":[95]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-01T06:00:48.157686","created_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00"}
