Terry Pratchett's Discworld: 9 Steps To Create The Perfect Game

An impassioned look at what would need to be done for a game to justify the sought-after Discworld license.

By Henry Dowling /

Paul KidbyA flat, round planet carves through the eternal ether, supported by four colossal elephants, on the back of the Great A'Tuin - space turtle extraordinaire. This is the complex imaginary world which plays host to one of the most highly regarded fantasy book series' ever devised, Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Perhaps not as widely popular as the Harry Potter novels (but then again, what is?), Pratchett devotees tend to consider themselves a more discerning bunch. We see the Discworld series as literary art, not Rowling-esque pulp fantasy. And we devour anything Discworld-related with rampant hunger - books, maps, board games, figurines, if it says "Discworld" on the cover, we'll buy it. It's a vast empire, the Discworld metaverse, and we all want a piece of it. One realm which hasn't received fair attention, though, is Discworld's representation in the gaming world. We're on the 40th novel in the award-winning series, but it's been 14 long years since the last proper attempt to capture the Discworld magic in game form (and no, the delightful boardgames don't count). In that time we've been subjected to unpleasant games based on brilliant fantasy books (ie. just about any Lord Of The Rings game), and substantially more unpleasant games based on forgettable fantasy books (ie. any game with Harry Plopper's bespectacled mug plastered on the box). After enduring all of that, the time is right for an amazing game based on the astounding fantasy scribblings of Mr. Pratchett. WhatCulture put the idea to revered gaming industry personality Rhianna Pratchett - Tomb Raider reboot writer, unofficial custodian of all things Discworldian, and of course Terry's daughter. "There have been a few pitches sent my father's way over the years, but none have been up to snuff, quite frankly," she told us. "Some thought they got it, and when asked to pitch their vision for the project, quite clearly didn't. So basically we've not had the right pitch from the right company yet." This tells us two things: that, as it stands, there is no Discworld project openly in development, but also that the idea is very much on the table should the right concept stroll in. So, while fans wait impatiently for the planets to align, perhaps it's time to take an impassioned look at what would need to be done for a game to justify the sought-after Discworld license.