--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For every character, I think about who…" description: "\"For every character, I think about who they are, their story, what they are, and who they were before their game started. What was their life like? Whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bba/tim-schafer-18855_about_for-every-character-i-think-about-who-th_1792331.jpg" --- # For every character, I think about who they are, their… ![“For every character, I think about who they are, their story, what they are, and who they were before their game started. What was their life like? Where did they grow up? What were their parents like?” quote by Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bba/tim-schafer-18855_about_for-every-character-i-think-about-who-th_1792331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bba/tim-schafer-18855_about_for-every-character-i-think-about-who-th_1792331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bba/tim-schafer-18855_about_for-every-character-i-think-about-who-th_1792331.jpg) > “For every character, I think about who they are, their story, what they are, and who they were before their game started. What was their life like? Where did they grow up? What were their parents like?” [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote emphasizes deep character development by considering a character's past, environment, and relationships to make them authentic. **In simple terms:** Think about a character's background and life before the story. Key Takeaway Build richer, believable characters. Themes character design storytelling empathy Mood thoughtful creative analytical Type literary instructional inspirational When to use this quote - video game writing - novel writing - role‑playing games - screenwriting - character workshops Key Concepts psychology worldbuilding narrative depth Questions to Reflect On - How does a character's past shape their motivations? - What details are essential for player connection? A Different Perspective May overlook gameplay constraints or player agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [I'm all about the story. If I like the character and I think the story's entertaining, I'll do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-stevenson/i-m-all-about-the-story-if-i-like-the-character-and-i-think-the-story/) Cynthia Stevenson > [Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carmack/story-in-a-game-is-like-a-story-in-a-porn-movie-it-s-expected-to-be/) [John Carmack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carmack/) > ['Alice' is effectively a story about a game of cards. 'Through the Looking Glass' is a story of chess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bobin/alice-is-effectively-a-story-about-a-game-of-cards-through-the/) [James Bobin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bobin/) > [When I was eight years old, I played a story game with my younger brother and sister to help them fall asleep. The 'word-story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-grant/when-i-was-eight-years-old-i-played-a-story-game-with-my-younger/) Carson Grant > [I'd only been out for, like, six months before I booked 'Insurgent'. It was my first role in America, and it was a huge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keiynan-lonsdale/i-d-only-been-out-for-like-six-months-before-i-booked-insurgent-it/) [Keiynan Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keiynan-lonsdale/) > [So, anyway, I think the format of love songs for me stopped becoming about people and started becoming about life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-polachek/so-anyway-i-think-the-format-of-love-songs-for-me-stopped-becoming/) [Caroline Polachek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-polachek/) > [I went on my first chicken shop date when I was 17 years old. The show started life in 2011 as a column in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amelia-dimoldenberg/i-went-on-my-first-chicken-shop-date-when-i-was-17-years-old-the-show/) [Amelia Dimoldenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amelia-dimoldenberg/) > [When I started out in life I wanted to teach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-spinetti/when-i-started-out-in-life-i-wanted-to-teach/) Victor Spinetti > [I had little or no opportunity when I started out in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madam-c-j-walker/i-had-little-or-no-opportunity-when-i-started-out-in-life/) [Madam C. J. Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madam-c-j-walker/) > [I started my life with Rs 5,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/i-started-my-life-with-rs-5-000/) [Rakesh Jhunjhunwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/) > [This is where I started life. This is where I went to uni. This is where the people I know are. This is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/this-is-where-i-started-life-this-is-where-i-went-to-uni-this-is/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [I think I have started to take life as it comes and quite uninhibitedly, without being repressed by the expectations of the society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaani-kapoor/i-think-i-have-started-to-take-life-as-it-comes-and-quite/) [Vaani Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaani-kapoor/) > [God bless my mother - she's long gone now, but she'd work all day and go to school at night. She started out in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-banks/god-bless-my-mother-she-s-long-gone-now-but-she-d-work-all-day-and-go/) [Jonathan Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-banks/) > [I started out in life with two great advantages: No money and good parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/i-started-out-in-life-with-two-great-advantages-no-money-and-good/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I started out life as a writer, and writers write in part because they don't want to talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/i-started-out-life-as-a-writer-and-writers-write-in-part-because-they/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) ## More by Tim Schafer > [I've now met, I would say, almost every single one of my rock idols. I feel like I should just drive off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-now-met-i-would-say-almost-every-single-one-of-my-rock-idols-i/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [In the future, we will play games while floating naked in a tank of warm, sensory-depriving gelatin. Games will be distributed chemically, into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/in-the-future-we-will-play-games-while-floating-naked-in-a-tank-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Adventure games are all about details - if you happen to take this one object and use it with this other object, in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/adventure-games-are-all-about-details-if-you-happen-to-take-this-one/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I enjoy everything. I actually do listen to everything. In high school, I listened to a lot of metal and punk rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-enjoy-everything-i-actually-do-listen-to-everything-in-high-school/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I think I just have an idea in my head about how big an adventure game should be, so it's hard for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-i-just-have-an-idea-in-my-head-about-how-big-an-adventure/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [The Internet has allowed a lot of access - people feel entitled to change the ending of games, for example. So there are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/the-internet-has-allowed-a-lot-of-access-people-feel-entitled-to/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I've always hated superheroes. I cannot stand them. I love Norse mythology, but I hate superheroes. They ruined movies, then comics, and now games.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-ve-always-hated-superheroes-i-cannot-stand-them-i-love-norse/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [When you have a programmer-founded company it often gets really techy, if you have a producer or a business-person, it all really sets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/when-you-have-a-programmer-founded-company-it-often-gets-really-techy/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If I had done a sequel to 'Day of the Tentacle,' there probably wouldn't have been a 'Full Throttle.' If I did a 'Full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-i-had-done-a-sequel-to-day-of-the-tentacle-there-probably-wouldn-t/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Publishers are very risk-averse, so they lean towards licenses and sequels. But the fact is that even those are not guaranteed hits. So, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/publishers-are-very-risk-averse-so-they-lean-towards-licenses-and/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [Kinect is such a great new entry into the field because it takes away one of the big barriers to little kids to playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/kinect-is-such-a-great-new-entry-into-the-field-because-it-takes-away/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [If you're not loyal to your team, you can get by for a while, but eventually you will need to rely on their loyalty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/if-you-re-not-loyal-to-your-team-you-can-get-by-for-a-while-but/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [I think when you play 'Psychonauts,' you are kind of playing inside of my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/i-think-when-you-play-psychonauts-you-are-kind-of-playing-inside-of/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [After 'Psychonauts,' we could have laid off half our team so that we'd have more money and time to sign 'Brutal Legend.' But doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/after-psychonauts-we-could-have-laid-off-half-our-team-so-that-we-d/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [There was a 'magic rock' my mom would lift up, and under the rock was a bunch of bugs. Roly-poly bugs and worms. Somehow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/there-was-a-magic-rock-my-mom-would-lift-up-and-under-the-rock-was-a/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) [Explore all 34 Tim Schafer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For every character, I think about who they are, their story, what they are, and who they were before their game started. What was their life like? Where did they grow up? 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