Communication Strategy for the Game Brand «The Crumpled»
'Communication is the relational process of creating and interpreting message that elicit a response.'
— Griffin, 2009
Part 1. Communication Theory in the Design Field
Overview of Theoretical Framework
The Communication Theory Course appears to be vital for the «The Crumpled» project since it is based on human interactions, abilities to catch verbal and non-verbal gestures and interpret them.
Ranging from Robert Craig’s seven traditions — Cybernetic, Socio-psychological, Socio-cultural, Critical, Rhetorical, Phenomenological, and Semiotic — to specific applied theories like Politeness Theory, Social Exchange Theory (SET), the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), and Uses and Gratifications Theory — all of them are being represented in the game.
Lighter, Alice Yoon, the year is unknown (image from the website Pinterest)
Applied Theories for «The Crumpled»
For «The Crumpled», which functions as a «psychological visual novel and bartender simulator», several specific theories drive the design.
The Phenomenological Tradition is central, for it presents communication as the «experience of self and others through dialogue». This aligns with the game’s USP of feeling empathy through mechanics, where the protagonist, Alexander, is an empath who «sees other people’s pain», which requires the player to navigate the subjective standpoints of guests to resolve conflicts.
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
Additionally, the Semiotic Tradition, defined as «sharing meaning through signs and symbols», is utilized through the «Tag» system. Here, the player extracts meaning from specific words in the text to form clues — such as extracting «sacrifice» from a phrase about donation — and relies on visual semiotics in «Guest Analysis» mode to decode signs like a «coffee stain» to infer a guest’s hurried state.
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
Furthermore, the game mechanics are deeply rooted in Brown & Levinson’s Politeness Theory, which explains how individuals manage «face» using strategies to mitigate «Face Threatening Acts» (FTAs).
The «Missing Phrase» mechanic gamifies this by forcing the player to choose between «Shut your trap» (Bald on Record), «Stop» (Rational), or «Make a small pause» (Positive Politeness).
These choices regulate the «Egoism Scale», simulating the social cost of maintaining or threatening face.
Finally, Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm is employed, positing that humans evaluate communication based on «coherence» and «fidelity» rather than pure logic.
As an empathy-driven visual novel, the player must judge guest’s stories to «correctly read the mood» and determine truth by analyzing if the narratives hold «good reasons» or contradictions.
Vinyl record, Carvalho, the year is unknown | Vintage 10'' coloured vinyl, ANDY’S MEMORIAL PAGE, the year is unknown (images from the website Pinterest)
Ineffective Theories for this Project
Conversely, certain theories are ineffective for this specific medium. The Hypodermic Needle (Magic Bullet) Theory, which assumes a passive audience injected with a uniform message, is rejected because «The Crumpled» is defined by a «nonlinear plot» where «choices affect the history». The player is an active participant co-constructing the narrative, they make a one-way transmission model invalid. Similarly, Janis’s Groupthink theory is not applicable because the game’s core interaction is dyadic — occurring between Alexander and one guest — rather than focused on group consensus dynamics or conformity within a cohesive group.
Part 2. Brand Presentation to a General Audience
Unknown bar, Tom Szabo, the year is unknown (image from the website Pinterest)
Brand Identity: The Sanctuary of «Pravda»
«The Crumpled» is an intimate conversation in a quiet corner of a loud world. Set in 2025 Moscow, in the noir atmosphere of the bar «Pravda», it offers a space for the «broken» to find solace. The brand embodies honesty, vulnerability, and the weight of a word and captures the mood of a late-night confession that is serious, gloomy, yet profoundly intimate.
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
Who is this for?
Our ideal player is represented by Anastasia, a young woman between 18 and 26 who navigates the complexities of modern life. She is an empath who deeply feels the world around her, perhaps dreaming of opening her own quiet coffee shop one day. She is drawn to the game because she seeks «healthy escapism»; she is tired of the noise and looks for a place where emotions are valid and stories matter. Her motivation lies in the psychological depth of «true crime» and detective stories, but she wants an experience that allows her to help rather than just watch.
How We Communicate
«The Crumpled» speaks a language of empathy and understatement. Visually, we use a «creased» or «rumpled» aesthetic to symbolize the imperfections of the human soul, utilizing soft, warm lighting. In dialogue, we avoid information dumps, instead treating words as currency. Every dialogue choice allows the player to be a healer or a protector of their own boundaries, offering a «warm atmosphere for the tired» where silence can speak as loudly as words.
Part 3. Brand Presentation for a Professional Audience
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
Narrative Design: The «Logic of Good Reasons»
The narrative structure of «The Crumpled» operationalizes Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm. We do not present a linear truth; instead, we present subjective stories from guests. The player must use narrative rationality — checking for internal consistency (coherence) and alignment with human nature (fidelity) — to solve the detective elements. This storytelling is structured into three «acts» of 3-4 days each, ensuring a progressive narrative arc that challenges the protagonist’s worldview.
Communication Mechanics: Gamifying Social Theory
We have translated abstract communication theories into concrete gameplay loops.
First, the Egoism Scale relies on Interdependence and Politeness Theory, with acknowledgement that all relationships require balancing rewards and costs. Choosing Positive Politeness strategies lowers the scale but drains the protagonist, while Bald On Record strategies fill the egoism scale to protect Alexander’s autonomy at the risk of the relationship, forcing the player to manage emotional labor as a resource.
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
Second, the Tag System gamifies Semiotics by requiring players to actively decode signs within text — such as the signifier «donates to a fund» yielding the concept «sacrificial».
Finally, the Guest Analysis mode incorporates non-verbal communication by allowing players to hover over visual elements to gain clues, acknowledging that multimodal cues like visual noise speak as loudly as text.
Vinyl record, Carvalho, the year is unknown | Vinyl record, maddison, the year is unknown (images from the website Pinterest)
Theoretical Connection
These mechanics transform the player from a passive observer into an active communicator. By integrating Politeness Theory into the core choice architecture, we ensure that every gameplay decision carries the «weight of the word», aligning the mechanics directly with the brand’s pillar of «feeling empathy».Part 4. Strategy Justification
Strategic Selection of Theories
The strategy for «The Crumpled» is logically built upon Phenomenology and Uses and Gratifications Theory. We selected Uses and Gratifications because our target audience, Anastasia, engages in gaming for «healthy escapism». According to the theory, audiences are active and goal-oriented, seeking media to satisfy specific needs like «tension release» or «emotional needs». We executed this by designing the game loop to satisfy the need for emotional competence; the «warm atmosphere» and listening mechanics directly gratify the user’s desire for a safe, empathetic space.
The Crumpled, Pimonova, Ishyarov, Skuratovskaya, 2025
We also integrated Phenomenology and Politeness Theory because the core conflict of the game is «exhausting empathy vs. rational egoism». Phenomenology focuses on the authentic experience of the «other», but unbridled empathy is draining. To structure this conflict, we used Politeness Theory. The player must sometimes use «rational egoism» (Face Threatening Acts) to survive, mirroring real-life social burnout. This transforms a binary «good/bad» moral system into a nuanced communication simulation.
Consistency in Design
This theoretical foundation ensures consistency across all layers of the project. The noir visuals reflect the ambiguity of semiotics, while the detective narrative relies on the narrative paradigm to decipher contradictory guests. Simultaneously, the gameplay loop of the egoism scale relies on social exchange. Every element reinforces the singular brand message: «Care for others' souls can save or break your own».
Part 5. List of References and Visual Materials
References:
- Game Design Document: «Помятые» (The Crumpled). Sources [1-70].
- Communication Theory Course:
- Lecture 1: The 7 Traditions (Craig).
- Lecture 2: Interpersonal Communication (Politeness Theory, Social Exchange Theory).
- Lecture 4: Rhetoric and The Narrative Paradigm (Fisher).
- Lecture 5: Uses and Gratifications Theory.
Visual Materials Strategy
To visually communicate these concepts, we utilize specific imagery that reflects the «warm atmosphere for the tired». This includes scenes of a Noir Bar Atmosphere with soft amber lighting. We also visualize the mechanics through the Egoism Scale UI, showing a slider moving between «Empathy» and «Egoism», and the Guest Analysis Mode, which depicts a cursor hovering over details like a mascara running down a girl’s face. Finally, we illustrate the choice architecture through Dialogue Choice mockups showing options ranging from bold to polite, directly representing the application of Politeness Theory.
The Leonardo AI neural network was used to create the game’s component images.
Game Design Document: «Помятые» (The Crumpled) [Electronic resource] // 2025, URL: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16E-js2qNjRQ1saTVXQn5y-LlxVdsxW4d3XkmkzaAp18/edit?usp=sharing (date of request: 5.11.2025)
Опосредованное управление сюжетом в играх [Electronic resource] // 2025, URL: https://hsedesign.ru/books/book/569ca6ea1f7946cfae1a3a0861699a7e (date of request: 5.11.2025)
Communication Theory: Bridging Academia and Practice [Electronic resource] // 2022, URL: https://edu.hse.ru/course/view.php?id=133853 (date of request: 16.10.2025).
All game images are taken from the game «The Crumpled» (Помятые) (date of request: 12.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/2111131073029940/ (date of request: 12.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/94294185944074750/ (date of request: 12.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/7740630605579831/ (date of request: 12.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/4925880833389130/ (date of request: 12.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/92394229848609045/ (date of request: 13.11.2025).
https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/19984792092006776/ (date of request: 13.11.2025).
