In its pacing and structure, "Alan Wake" is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called "Bright Falls" acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the "Alan Wake" story.