Emergent Narrative

Emergent Narrative is the concept that, when a game offers enough freedom to the player, the player can form their own story. Emergent Game-play is the idea that, rather than shoehorning the player into a pre-constructed story, you should establish a structure, through game technicalities, in which a player can experience their own stories.  One  Minecraft player might have tales of profound exploration, while another might tell of his Fitzcarraldo-like endeavor to build a stronghold on top of a mountain.  These games give players a world and tools which allow them to experience wholly unique stories.  No two games of Minecraft are ever alike.  Ditto for Dwarf Fortress, or Sim City, or Grand Theft Auto.  Hell, board and tabletop games are a study in emergent narrative, where the stories that emerge depend more on who you’re playing with than the game itself, and the mechanics are just there to facilitate.