Flashback
From IFWiki
In narrative terminology, a flashback is a period of the story which chronologically takes place before the section of the frame story that immediately precedes it. Broadly speaking, any point at which the plot jumps back in time is a flashback; usually it involves events from a character's past, particularly as seen through memories.
In IF, a flashback may be implemented as a simple cutscene or as an entire interactive section of game world.
Uses
- Character development; a strong way to define a character is through exploring their past.
- Revealing clues, plot points and other information so as to avoid knowledge conflict.
- A strong opportunity to employ the unreliable narrator technique, since memories and retellings are overtly fallible.
- A standard device for recovery from amnesia.
Classic Examples
- Photograph (Steve Evans; 2002; Z-code).
- Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; 1998; Z-code).
- Worlds Apart (Suzanne Britton; TADS 2).