For four years, the creative team behind Deus Ex: Human Revolution strove to create an immersive, story-driven game that never prevents players from creating their own path through it. Keeping track of branching possibilities, and ensuring that story and gameplay coherently merge in an experience that's different every time you play, required that the team rethink their approach to story-based game development. In this Post Mortem presentation, Lead Writer and Narrative Designer Mary DeMarle takes an in-depth look at the process her team eventually used, a process loving referred to as "The Blueprint."