ABSTRACT. Going beyond tropes of other science fiction, the XCOM franchise reboot provides a noteworthy case study of IR in games due to its emphasis on an especially international liberal politic. This proceeds across core entries from the need for global cooperation in the face of global threat, to the failure of this cooperation and resultant totalitarianism, and finally to its victory and successive internal vigilance.

ABSTRACT. This paper analyzes the production of machinic subjectivity in Korean online PC gaming culture by applying Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s concept of “machine” and Nick Dyer-Witheford and Greig de Peuter’s framework. It examines PCs as technical machines, PC Bangs as cultural spaces, and the subjectivities shaped through in-game interactions and community practices across four dimensions: technical, corporate, biopolitical, and war machine. The study investigates PCs' cultural and social significance, corporate mechanisms of control, the biopolitical processes that routinize user behavior, and the potential of collective actions like truck protests and “lying flat” as war machines. By focusing on the relationship between technological machines and subjectivity, this paper contributes to critical game studies by offering insights into how gaming cultures produce, regulate, and challenge dominant subjectivities.

ABSTRACT. This case study explores the use of co-design to create digital misinformation escape room games tailored to two communities, one specific interest-based group (BTS fans) and one subset of the general population based on shared identity (Black community). This project was motivated by research calling for educational interventions around misinformation that can appeal to diverse communities. Employing a co-design framework based on an existing misinformation escape room, the research team convened two groups of participants from BTS fandom and Black communities, and facilitated a series of four co-design sessions that resulted in two new games featuring entirely new narratives built on the existing game’s underlying structure and mechanics. Findings highlight the potential for reaching diverse communities through a rapid co-design process focused on narrative development. Successes and challenges are discussed, along with insights from the co-design process to inform future efforts.

ABSTRACT. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Massively Multiplayer On-Line Role-Playing Game (MMO) World of Warcraft (WoW) has had in excess of a hundred million players and a billion days played since its release. However not all these players of the game have done so through the intellectual property owners' official servers. Unofficial ‘private servers’, which exist at the fringes of the game's legal and ethical boundaries, provide access to the same game world that the official game does, but without the control of the intellectual property owner. By analysing data from current and former websites frequented by private server developers, hosts, and players, we investigate a historical timeline of private servers for WoW through the last two decades. We document a history dating back to the pre-release alpha version of the game before the official public release. This highlights the significant development resources and marketplaces of services that support what is often thought of as merely piracy.

ABSTRACT. In this paper, we explore the potential to reconstruct otherwise ‘lost’ and unplayable videogames through their paratextual remnants. The rogue and unkempt archives comprised of these remnants afford particular access, we will show, to the feelings and sensations that emerge from playing videogames.

ABSTRACT. This paper presents the development of an digital web archive for Swiss vintage games and their community, created as part of the CH LUDENS project. By preserving a largely overlooked yet vibrant game development scene, the project seeks to make this cultural heritage accessible to researchers and the public. The archive’s development follows a practice-based, design-driven, and iterative approach that integrates methods such as archival analysis, User Interviews, data mapping, prototyping, and user testing. To accommodate diverse content and evolving research demands, a flexible data structure is designed to support a transdisciplinary team. Drawing on insights from existing game and related archives, the project frames archiving as a design challenge and investigates how a digital archive can remain adaptable, sustainable, and meaningful amid ongoing heterogeneous data collection.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the entanglements between morality, empathy, and artificial intelligence, asking how videogames mobilize different forms of empathy in their representation of AI characters. Focusing on three key configurations of representing AI NPCs in contemporary videogames, we argue that these games provide important insights not only into contemporary cultural imaginaries of AI but also into the relationship between morality and empathy more generally.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how different levels of game fidelity impact player empathy. To examine the impact of video game fidelity on empathy outcomes, a high-fidelity 3D version of Brukel, a critically recognized 3D video game, was compared with a low-fidelity text-based adaptation. Forty-two participants were recruited for a between-subjects study, and empathy was measured using the State Empathy Scale. In comparing the two versions of the game, the results indicate limited evidence for equivalence in affective and associative empathy and moderate evidence for equivalence in cognitive empathy. These findings suggest that developers creating empathy-focused games may achieve similar outcomes regardless of the visual fidelity of their game – text-based game creation software such as Twine may offer a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to 3D development. This holds significant potential for expanding the accessibility of creating and testing empathy-driven games, particularly for independent developers or those with limited resources. In addition, it highlights the potential of using Twine as a prototyping tool for empathy in video games.

ABSTRACT. This paper argues for a shift in the discussion of empathy in videogames from its traditional other-oriented conception to one of self-empathy. Using Nomada Studio’s 2018 jump-and-run puzzle game GRIS and recent 2024 platformer Neva, the analysis emphasizes moments of narrative distance and aesthetic convergence that allow players to encounter themselves as the Other in these games.

ABSTRACT. (This is an extended abstract so there is no abstract)

ABSTRACT. INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS Media representations hold a profound capacity to influence societal beliefs, shape cultural norms, and perpetuate or dismantle stereotypes. This dynamic is particularly evident when it comes to depictions of marginalized groups, such as neuroatypical individuals or those living with diverse mental health conditions. These representations are often caught between two competing imperatives: striving for documentary fidelity versus embracing creative freedom. This duality raises fundamental questions about the responsibilities of media creators and the societal impacts of their choices. CONSTRUCTING REALITY THROUGH MEDIA Drawing on key theoretical frameworks, including Hall’s Representation Theory (1997) and Goffman’s Framing Theory (1974), this work explores how media does not merely reflect reality but actively constructs it. Accurate depictions, often developed in collaboration with subject matter experts, aim to dismantle stigma, foster empathy, and raise awareness about complex realities (as was the case during the development of the video game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice or the Atypical series, for example). Ferrari et al. (2019) emphasize that nuanced portrayals have the potential to disrupt harmful tropes, fostering a more humanized understanding of conditions like neurodivergence or mental illness. However, they also reveal a troubling statistic: 97% of video games analyzed misrepresent mental health issues, often associating them with insanity, danger, and violence (Anderson, 2020; Dunlap, 2018). These portrayals reinforce stigmatizing narratives and obscure the complexities of lived experiences. BEYOND THE TYRANNY OF REALISM Conversely, media does not operate solely within the boundaries of fidelity. Noury (2023) highlights the poetic power of representation, emphasizing how artistic freedom allows creators to move beyond the constraints of factual accuracy to offer layered, interpretive narratives. Shaw (2015) underscores this tension by introducing the concept of the “tyranny of realism,” illustrating how pressures for accuracy can restrict creative narratives and limit the transformative potential of media. Shaw’s analysis of Assassin’s Creed III reveals how demands for realism often reflect the expectations of imagined audiences, shaping selective histories while privileging certain voices over others. Similarly, Simond (2023) suggests that media representations, particularly in video games, should not be confined to replicating diagnostic criteria or serving purely therapeutic purposes. Instead, they should be celebrated as creative constructs capable of inspiring audiences and provoking critical thought. Schiappa (2008) critiques the rigid emphasis on “representational correctness,” advocating for a broader focus on the cultural and social work that representations perform, even when imperfect. Beach (2001) further highlights the value of reflective practices in creative work, emphasizing the need for balance between analytical precision and emotional depth in storytelling. RESPONSIBILITY VERSUS IMAGINATION These perspectives raise critical questions: Should creators prioritize fidelity to lived experiences, or should they embrace the freedom to reimagine reality through a creative lens? To what extent are creators responsible for the societal implications of their representations? These questions are particularly pertinent in fields like gaming, where interactivity blurs the boundaries between spectator and participant, intensifying the ethical stakes of representation. CONCLUSION: TOWARD AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH Ultimately, this work advocates for an integrative perspective that balances fidelity and creativity. Media should strive to construct narratives that are not only educational but also imaginative, offering audiences the opportunity to challenge their preconceptions and engage more deeply with the diversity of human experiences. By navigating this tension thoughtfully, creators can mitigate the risks of reinforcing stereotypes while unlocking the potential for richer, multi-dimensional storytelling. Such an approach positions media as a transformative force, capable of shaping societal norms and advancing inclusive understandings of diversity and otherness.

ABSTRACT. Game industry events are key venues for networking, career advancement and information exchange for industry members. However, these events are not always accessible, inclusive or equally available to all participants. This research examines barriers to attendance through an inclusion framework that emphasises individuals’ needs for both belonging and uniqueness. Moments of exclusion, differentiation, and assimilation are analysed using survey data and interviews collected from members of the Finnish game industry in 2023, alongside an exploration of how class relations become visible through event experiences. Moving beyond the documented issues of gender-based exclusion, the study expands the discourse by identifying additional forms of marginalisation affecting participation in industry events, such as geographic location, socioeconomic status, disability, sobriety, social discomfort, and professional seniority. The findings contribute to academic discussions on local game production and offer recommendations for fostering more inclusive industry events.

ABSTRACT. Extended abstract. Card pack and especially loot box spending are both positively correlated with problem gambling but not linked to negative mental health outcomes. Around the world, policymakers are at a crossroads: how should gambling-like game mechanics be regulated?

ABSTRACT. Belgium provides a unique case study for understanding the effectiveness of loot box regulation and the extent to which the games industry complies with this. Our study looks at whether companies are actively avoiding targeting Belgium with loot box adverts by using the Meta Ads database, an objective and comprehensive online repository of social media advertisements. We have found that 41% of considered games had not advertised in Belgium: however, of those, only 8 can be considered compliant. This work has implications for the regulation of the games industry around monetisation and how these issues can be presented and framed.

ABSTRACT. Extended abstract: The UK’s loot box regulatory policy is at a ‘crossroads:’ should it continue to rely on ineffective industry self-regulation or emulate South Korea and adopt stricter rules?

ABSTRACT. Many game communities, including those who primarily play Magic: The Gathering (MTG), struggle with different kinds of toxicity, often directed towards players of minority gender identities. To help understand how these players deal with the barriers they face, we conducted a two-phase mixed methods study. After surveying 324 MTG players and interviewing 14 of them, we found such players encountered barriers such as male-dominated environments, stereotyping and underestimation and developed strategies of community support, including personal adaptation based on previous systemic familiarity and alternate formats to persist and succeed. The research highlights economic barriers, cultural and social barriers, along with knowledge and experience gaps. Important themes include recognizing cultural norms, overcoming stereotyping, engaging selectively, and building inclusive playgroups, resilience and adaptability. We believe these strategies imply a broader need for intentional inclusivity practices and support mechanisms within gaming communities to foster a more equitable and representative gaming public.

ABSTRACT. This paper uses examples of what could be described as player-organized ‘criminality’, from EVE Online and World of Warcraft to explore how players discuss activities in MMORPGs that resemble their conceptions of organized crime. Drawing on a range of blogs, official and unofficial forums for both EVE Online and World of Warcraft, and related Reddit posts, I explore how and why players draw on the language of organized crime when talking about their own and other players’ activities, and what this tells us about MMORPG play and players’ expectations of it. This language evokes a range of associations, particularly filmic and literary references to mafias – but what (else) does players’ use of this language reveal about their play, and the way that MMORPG communities work? This paper will be of value to researchers interested in online gaming cultures, in emergent and/or sandbox gameplay, or in the ongoing legacy of older MMORPGs.

ABSTRACT. This research investigates how user-generated content impacts player engagement and community dynamics in the Chinese player community of Final Fantasy XIV. Specifically, it looks at the ways that Chinese Final Fantasy XIV players engage with, participate in, or contribute to user-generated content, and what motivates their involvement. Simultaneously, it seeks to understand how the sense of community among Chinese Final Fantasy XIV players shapes their experiences and perceptions of user-generated content. The investigation seeks to untangle the complex web of personal and collective factors that fuel player engagement with user-created content, underscoring the importance of social connections and cooperative creativity within the digital realm of Final Fantasy XIV.

ABSTRACT. Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs) are a unique blend of collaborative storytelling, imaginative role-play and structured mechanics. Immersion, a central element of the TTRPG experience, is defined as a player’s deep connection to their role, characterized by a disengagement from external distractions and a reduction in out-of-character communication (Matkowski 2008). This study employs a quantitative approach to investigate the dimensions, emotional aspects and contributing factors of immersion, using insights drawn from a comprehensive survey. Furthermore, the results of this research underscore the critical role of system-specific conventions, player diversity, and social interactions in fostering immersion, offering valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners in the field of interactive storytelling. Immersion has been interpreted as an illusion, a dynamic interplay between fiction and reality, and an aesthetic construct that deeply involves the participant (Maj 2016, Kubiński 2014). Maj frames it as a “world-feeling,” where the individual becomes profoundly intertwined with the narrative environment, creating a seamless connection between the self and the fictional world (Kłosiński 2018). Expanding on this, Kłosiński describes immersion as a process that compensates for missing sensory stimuli by activating the imagination, transforming it from a creative into a reconstructive tool. This dual engagement of sensory and cognitive elements allows immersion in TTRPGs to bridge the gap between what is imagined and what is perceived, fostering a cohesive and vivid narrative experience (Kłosiński 2018). However, unlike the solitary experience of immersion in video games, TTRPGs rely heavily on collaborative dynamics. This collective engagement not only integrates disparate narrative components but also demands participants to maintain the emotional and atmospheric coherence of the game. The study’s methodology was guided by two key theoretical models: Ryan’s framework (2003) of spatial, temporal, and emotional immersion, and the immersion questionnaire originally developed by Strojny & Strojny (2014) for video games. To align with the context of TTRPGs, the questionnaire was adapted with Ryan’s model in mind, ensuring its relevance to the tabletop gaming experience. Additionally, the survey was expanded to include questions on various factors such as emotional engagement, gameplay styles, the use of music, session expectations, gender, and experimental components inspired by Porczyński’s Stages of Player Life Theory (2014). Over a six-month period, the survey gathered 328 responses, resulting in a dataset for quantitative analysis. The study explored factors such as the impact of atmospheric elements (e.g., background music), the role of social agreements (e.g., adherence to a shared social contract), and the interaction between player expectations and session dynamics. Among the systems analyzed, Call of Cthulhu emerged as a standout example of a game that fosters high levels of immersion. The system’s horror-focused design, characterized by slow pacing, vivid descriptions, and escalating tension, draws players into its narrative (Porczyński 214). As characters face encounters with supernatural elements, their gradual descent into madness enhances the emotional intensity of the experience (Porczyński 2014). When compared to 129 other systems, including Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer, Call of Cthulhu consistently demonstrated a greater capacity to immerse players, cementing its reputation as a system designed for deep role-playing. Furthermore, while atmospheric elements such as music were found to enhance tension and emotional engagement, it was meta-commentary that played a more pivotal role in shaping and sustaining the game’s atmosphere. Meta-commentary, despite its potential to break immersion, emerged as a key tool for reinforcing narrative cohesion and deepening the overall gaming experience. This study sheds light on the multifaceted nature of immersion in TTRPGs, emphasizing its dependence on both individual and collective elements. By bridging theoretical models with empirical data, it contributes to a deeper understanding of how immersion operates within the unique framework of tabletop games. The findings demonstrate the importance of genre-specific conventions, such as horror in Call of Cthulhu, and highlight the value of diverse gameplay experiences in enhancing player engagement. In summary, immersion in TTRPGs is a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon that spans spatial, temporal, and emotional dimensions. It is shaped by imagination, collaborative effort, and contextual factors, which together transform gameplay into a deeply engaging narrative experience. Notably, younger players tend to experience immersion more profoundly, as they have the time and capacity for sustained engagement. Continued research into these themes holds the potential to deepen our understanding of collaborative narratives and their broader significance for immersive play.

ABSTRACT. This presentation investigates the translation of cinematic real-time combat scenes into a medium that resists the immediacy that makes such moments exciting: turn-based board games. Using a research through design approach (Frayling 1993; Gaver 2012; Zimmerman et al. 2007), it outlines the iterative development of a dice-based combat system designed to evoke fast-paced action and generate an emergent narrative. The study demonstrates how game design can serve as a method of inquiry, revealing insights into the interplay between mechanics, player experience, and narrative immersion. By iteratively evolving the system across three board game titles, the paper reflects on the challenges of integrating mechanics with emergent narratives to simulate the dynamism of cinematic combat in the board game medium.

ABSTRACT. In this article, I analyze tarot through the theories and concepts developed in the field of game studies. In the contemporary collective imagination, tarot cards are linked to divination and the esoteric symbolism of their figures, but like other packs of cards they originated as ludic objects. Through the study of historical sources from the 15th and 16th centuries, I investigate the ludic rhetoric generated by the games played with tarot deck and the reflections on the tarot made by various authors. The use of theoretical frameworks developed in game studies is extremely useful to better understand a fascinating and still largely misunderstood game such as the tarot deck.

ABSTRACT. Women in journalism are often the target of gender-based hostility (Posetti et al., 2020). This is particularly the case with topics, that have a long history of being "male-associated" (Adams, 2017). Video games are one of them. In the past, this circumstance already led to discussions such as #1reasonwhy (there are fewer women in the games industry) or the #gamergate controversy (Ferguson & Glasgow, 2021). Misogyny in games culture is academically recognized as part of a toxic geek culture that purposefully excludes female, queer, or non-white participants (Massanari, 2017). To date, gender-specific hatred in game culture has mainly been investigated from the perspective of female players, who have stated, among other things, that they deliberately hide their gender because they would otherwise experience unwanted advances or be blamed for the failure of games (Robinson, 2023). A survey of Czech female games journalists revealed that they also felt that their expertise and skills were not taken seriously (Fousek-Krobová & Švelch, 2024). RESEARCH QUESTIONS For the first time, the extent to which misogyny also affects female games journalists in German-speaking countries was to be analyzed qualitatively. The following research questions were formulated: RQ1: Which forms of hostilities and/or discrimination are female video game journalists exposed to in which contexts? RQ1a: What gender-related stereotypes do you perceive in your work? RQ2: How are these experiences dealt with on a personal and institutional level? RQ3: To what extent do they feel recognized in their position as a games expert at an institutional and audience level? METHOD From February to April 2024, 20 interviews were conducted with female journalists inGermany who work as freelancers or full-time employees at games magazines. Due to the small population of German female game journalists, the sample can be considered almost representative. The participants in the study had professional experience ranging from two to over fifteen years and expertise in various formats (video, text, audio). Participants who no longer worked as video game journalists and shared their experiences retrospectively were also interviewed. Given the exploratory nature of the research topic, the interviews were analyzed using the logic of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 2014). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results paint a complex picture, as the extent to which the interviewees experienced hostility ranged from almost non-existent to massive negative experiences. Stereotypes towards female gamers played a major role in their everyday working life, as these were a key to audience acceptance. For example, female journalists who reported on "typically female games", for example cozy games, experienced less audience harassment. Hostility was experienced very on a regular basis in online comments and on social networks. The analysis revealed that the nature and extent of these experiences were characterized by certain contexts. These were identified as themes, visibility, institutional protection, and peer support. For example, interviewees were accused of reporting on "typical women's issues" when they addressed sexism in games. They also experienced more hostility the more visible and opinionated they presented themselves, for example in columns or in front of the camera. Reliable community management and emotional support from (male and female) colleagues were cited as effective counter-strategies. In general, however, the interviewees felt more recognized at an institutional level than in their interaction with the public, in front of whom they had to constantly "prove" their expert status. The results show that misogyny is still a challenge for the work of female games journalists, but that the effects vary greatly on an individual level. Identifying the relevant contexts for misogynistic experiences can lead to more effective protective measures, but ideally also encourage an empirical extension to female news journalists in German-speaking countries.

REFERENCES Adams, C. (2017). "They Go for Gender First": The nature and effect of sexist abuse offemale technology journalists. Journalism Practice, 12(7), 850-869.https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2017.1350115 Ferguson, C. J., & Glasgow, B. (2021). Who are GamerGate? A descriptive study of individuals involved in the GamerGate controversy. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(2), 243. Fousek-Krobová, T., & Švelch, J. (2024). "Never Good Enough": Player Identities, Experiences, and Coping Strategies of Women in Czech Video Game Journalism. Games and Culture, 19(4), 449-468. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120231166791 Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (2014). Applying grounded theory. The Grounded TheoryReview, 13(1), 46-50. Massanari, A. (2017). # Gamergate and The Fappening: How Reddit's algorithm, governance, and culture support toxic technocultures. New media & society, 19(3), 329-346. Robinson, J. A. (2023). "I Ain't No Girl": Exploring Gender Stereotypes in the Video Game Community. Western Journal of Communication, 87(5), 857-878.

ABSTRACT. This study explores evolving community discourse surrounding female representation in video games, focusing on the increasing player expectation that female characters must simultaneously embody sexiness and power. Building on the conceptual foundation laid in “You can be BOTH sexy and powerful,” (Li, 2024) this research investigates how community discussions reflect shifting standards of female character design and narrative roles. Using Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), this paper examines cases from Genshin Impact—specifically Western player communities’ criticism of Dehya’s perceived lack of power and the Chinese meme on “buff-up Keqing” (“加强刻晴”), where players demanded a more powerful iteration of the character. Existing studies on gender representation in video games highlight recurring tensions between physical appearance and competence. Burgess et al. (2007) and Martins et al. (2009) criticize video games for perpetuating harmful stereotypes through exaggerated physical designs catering to the male gaze. Current scholarship similarly critiques the “damsel in distress” trope for relegating female characters to ornamental, disempowered roles. For instance, Chess (2017) highlights how such tropes contribute to the construction of gaming as a masculinized space, where women are sidelined from the active role of the hero. Dill and Thill (2007) extend this critique by demonstrating that these portrayals not only reinforce traditional gender stereotypes but also normalize their presence in digital narratives, shaping cultural perceptions of gender. From a different perspective, research on the “Lara Phenomenon” (Jansz and Martis, 2007) demonstrates that while female characters have been portrayed as powerful protagonists, their sexualization often undermines their narrative and ludic agency. More recent scholarship, such as Harvey and Fisher’s (2015) work, analyses how contemporary games attempt to subvert traditional gender norms through strong, multifaceted female leads, yet often fall back into problematic depictions due to industry conventions or audience expectations. Genz (2009) and Engelbrecht (2020) further explore how contemporary media constructs “post-feminist supergirls” who embody conflicting ideals of passive femininity and active masculinity. These works underscore the ongoing negotiation between character depth and visual design, themes central to this study. Furthermore, studies on audience imagination and engagement with game characters (e.g., Consalvo, 2003; Shaw, 2014) reveal how players project personal ideals and cultural expectations onto fictional characters. This projection often transforms characters into vessels for players’ own values, aspirations, and cultural norms. For instance, Gee (2003) discusses how video games encourage players to adopt and shape “projective identities,” merging their personal experiences with the roles offered by game narratives. This blending of identities deepens player-character relationships but also creates heightened expectations for how characters should look, act, or develop. Player-driven discourse frequently blurs the line between narrative intentions and audience interpretations, reshaping the meaning of characters through communal dialogue. Jenkins (2006) argues that fandoms actively participate in co-creating the narrative world, often imposing their own logic on characters and stories. These cultural expectations imposed by gaming communities extend beyond individual cases, influencing broader industry practices. Bury (2011) highlights how fan communities increasingly leverage social media platforms to voice their demands, pressuring developers to revise character designs, narratives, or mechanics. Such interactions often lead to an iterative process of character refinement, reflecting a feedback loop between creators and players. Collectively, these dynamics reveal a complex interplay between audience imagination, cultural specificity, and game design. While they highlight the participatory potential of gaming communities, they also underscore the limitations of catering to audience demands. These demands may inadvertently reinforce rigid, homogenized standards of what constitutes an “ideal” female character, narrowing the scope for creative and diverse representations. Findings reveal that these discourses perpetuate the expectation of a “perfect” female character, one who fulfills dual ideals of physical allure and exceptional strength. Such demands, while ostensibly progressive, risk reinforcing rigid standards that constrain creativity and diversity in character design. For instance, the co-creation dynamic, highlighted by Jenkins (2006), is evident in player critiques of Dehya’s narrative and ludic portrayal, where Western audiences question her combat effectiveness in Genshin Impact, viewing it as incompatible with her strong and alluring character design. Similarly, the cultural specificity of Keqing memes in Chinese gaming circles, such as “buff-up Keqing”, illustrates how humor and communal demands converge to influence the public image of a character. The community's call for Dehya and Keqing to be “buffed up” not only reflects dissatisfaction with her perceived weakness but also underscores an underlying expectation for female characters to embody both physical and narrative strength. This expectation resonates with broader discussions in feminist media studies, such as Butler’s (1990) theory of performativity, which suggests that gendered performances—whether in real life or digital spaces—are shaped by cultural norms and repetitive acts. This paper argues that these community-driven narratives underscore the tension between inclusivity and exclusivity, demonstrating how player interpretations shape and, at times, restrict the representation of femininity in contemporary gaming culture.

Reference Burgess, M.C., Stermer, S.P. and Burgess, S.R., 2007. Sex, lies, and video games: The portrayal of male and female characters on video game covers. Sex roles, 57, pp.419-433. Bury, R., 2017. Technology, fandom and community in the second media age. Convergence, 23 (6), pp.627-642. Butler, J., 1990. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Gender trouble, 3 (1), pp.3-17. Chess, S., 2017. Ready player two: Women gamers and designed identity. University of Minnesota Press. Consalvo, M., 2013. Hot dates and fairy-tale romances: Studying sexuality in video games. In The video game theory reader (pp. 171-194). Routledge. Dill, K.E. and Thill, K.P., 2007. Video game characters and the socialization of gender roles: Young people’s perceptions mirror sexist media depictions. Sex roles, 57, pp.851-864. Engelbrecht, J. 2020. The New Lara Phenomenon: A Postfeminist Analysis of Rise of the Tomb Raider. Game Studies, 20 (3), 9. Gee, J.P., 2007. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.: Revised and Updated Edition. Macmillan. Genz, S. 2009. Postfemininities in Popular Culture. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan Han, H. W. and Song, S. J. 2014. Characterization of female protagonists in video games: A focus on Lara croft. Asian Journal of Women's Studies, 20 (3), 27-49. Harvey, A. and Fisher, S., 2015. “Everyone can make games!”: The post-feminist context of women in digital game production. Feminist Media Studies, 15 (4), pp.576-592. Jansz, J. and Martis, R. G. 2007. The Lara phenomenon: Powerful female characters in video games. Sex roles, 56, 141-148. Jenkins, H., 2006. Fans, bloggers, and gamers: Exploring participatory culture. New York University Press. Lopez-Fernandez, O., Williams, A. J., Griffiths, M. D. and Kuss, D. J. 2019. Female gaming, gaming addiction, and the role of women within gaming culture: A narrative literature review. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 454. Martins, N., Williams, D.C., Harrison, K. and Ratan, R.A., 2009. A content analysis of female body imagery in video games. Sex roles, 61, pp.824-836. Shanghai Mihoyo Network Technology Co., Ltd. 2022. Genshin Impact, Online game. Shanghai Mihoyo Network Technology Co., Ltd. Shaw, A., 2015. Gaming at the edge: Sexuality and gender at the margins of gamer culture. University of Minnesota Press. Tompkins, J. E., Lynch, T., Van Driel, I. I. and Fritz, N. 2020. Kawaii killers and femme fatales: A textual analysis of female characters signifying benevolent and hostile sexism in video games. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 64 (2), 236- 254

ABSTRACT. This paper examines the portrayal of female ghosts in Chinese indie horror puzzle games and their cultural contexts. Despite challenges like funding shortages and censorship, Chinese indie game designers have produced acclaimed works that evolve from indulgence to art. Horror puzzle games, a prominent sub-category, emphasize intricate plotting and characterization, often incorporating Chinese folk culture and urban legends to create a distinct “Chinese horror style.”

Female ghosts in these games symbolize women who suffered unjustly, reflecting social and ethical anxieties rooted in ancient Chinese literature. Games such as “Detention,” “Joyful Funeral,” “Firework,” and “Blind Village” use these figures to critique historical and modern injustices, intertwining horror with cultural and political commentary.

The concept of female ghosts is deeply rooted in classical literature, addressing themes of alienation and social injustice. Modern interpretations often symbolize rebellion against feudal patriarchy, with feminist scholars viewing them as victims and symbols of vengeance. Despite political advancements, the marginalization of women persists, leading contemporary games to adopt revolutionary feminist intentions.

Comparing Taiwanese and mainland Chinese indie horror games reveals both depict female ghosts as victims of oppressive forces. Taiwanese games focus on redemption and freedom, while mainland Chinese games express anger and resentment, reflecting the “powerlessness of intellectuals” and gender issues. Female ghosts symbolize silenced voices, represented as supernatural beings due to self-censorship.

ABSTRACT. The article analyzes digital representations of animals with disabilities in video games, which indicates what place characters of this type occupy in game plots and gameplay structure, and how narratives of disability are constructed within the virtual environments in question. Representations of animals have a very complex character in games resulting from the intersection of their digital ontology with the specificity of game characters as delegates of player subjectivity and the status of game environments as dynamic hybrid machines encapsulating affects, human and non-human types of causality, and automated procedures and intra-actions. In this paper, We discuss the theoretical relationship between critical posthumanism, disability studies and animal studies to then analyze selected strategies for using animals with disabilities in video games.

ABSTRACT. This article extends the analysis of nonhuman animal games to explore how insect non-playable characters (NPCs) and the ludonarrative of the survival genre break the nature-culture dichotomy through a dangerous and ungraspable representation of Nature. It is noted that research conducted on insect game representations belongs in my doctoral thesis, which adopts an interdisciplinary approach to investigating nonhuman game characters through critical ecological studies and affect studies. Discussions concerning nonhuman video games have attempted to address how humanity relates to nonhuman animals through “nonhuman-oriented thinking” in “animal mayhem games” (Caracciolo, 2021) or “posthuman empathy” while role-playing a feline protagonist (Wilde, 2024). However, existing discussion on nonhuman animal games is mostly dominated by mammal characters. Only a few studies have delineated the affordance of insect characters to demonstrate the living experience of this nonhuman group (Shelomi, 2019; Campo & Dangles, 2020), even though an increasing number of insect-themed games have been published in the past decade. Following the previous academic discussion on how nonhuman games could be considered a “becoming-animal” process (Chang, 2019; Fuchs, 2020; Wilde, 2024) and used as a creative means to explore nonhuman relations (Caracciolo, 2021; Tyler, 2022), this project poses the question of whether playing alongside insect NPCs would generate similar affective interactions? What role do killer insects play in demonstrating the violent image of Nature? What is the ecological significance of presenting the violence and terror from Nature, akin to Haraway’s interpretation of The Call of Cthulhu by Lovecraft (2016, p.33)? 

The powerful yet strange image of Nature is exemplified by Grounded (Obsidian Entertainment 2022). In this open-world survival game, teenage protagonists are shrunken into the size of an ant withstanding a thriving ecosystem of insects and arthropods. Drawing from critical ecological theorists who take on a radical view to see the violent side of Nature (Goh, 2008), rethinking the benign natureculture position (Herzogenrath, 2008), and exploring the uncanny appearance of the Anthropocene (Morton, 2016), the ecological implications of killer insect NPCs and a hostile natural environment are investigated based on the game’s intention to foreground insect lives on direct influences of human activities.   Grounded is selected to be the subject of analysis because it is argued to have adopted a comprehensive mode of relation with animals. While insect games are mostly offered in the style of simulation or strategy in a distant and speculative relation, such as Bee Simulator (Nacon 2020) and Empire of Ants (Tower Five 2024), Grounded puts human protagonists into “a fair fight” with monster sized insects and animals. The survival form of the game effectively portrays elements of competition or coexistence among different species, which aligns with the scope of research in critical ecological studies to investigate the animal-human relationship. The violent image of Nature in Grounded is discovered through three main ludonarrative features of the gameplay, including the monstrosity demonstrated by the insect NPCs, the intimate natureculture (Haraway cited in Malone & Ovenden, 2017) proximity in the backyard, and the depiction of uncontrollable disasters unlocked by humanity in the act of playing God. It is concluded that while a sense of respect towards Nature might be developed through the fear of a more powerful existence in the gameplay, the survival ludonarrative design remains anthropocentric as the goal of the game is to build up the strength of the human avatars overtime to conquer the backyard. Like other nonhuman games, Grounded is limited by the human-centric motive to dominate nonhuman animals, despite having the affordance to affectively engage players to reflect on Nature’s nurturing image in traditional ecological studies.

GAME REFERENCES

Nacon. 2020. Bee Simulator. Steam. 

Obsidian Entertainment. 2022. Grounded. Steam.

Tower Five. 2024. Empire of Ants. Steam. 

REFERENCES

Campo, P., & Dangles, O. (2020). An overview of games for entomological literacy in support of sustainable development. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 40, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cois.2020.06.003

Caracciolo, M. (2021) Animal Mayhem Games and Nonhuman-Oriented Thinking. Game Studies, 21 (1). https://gamestudies.org/2101/articles/caracciolo 

Chang, A. Y. (2019) Playing Nature: Ecology in Video Games. University of Minnesota Press. 

Fuchs, M. (2020) Playing (With) the Non-human: The Animal Avatar in Bear Simulator. Outside the​​ Anthropological Machine: Crossing the Human-Animal Divide and Other Exit Strategy (C. Mengozzi, Ed.). Routledge. 

Goh, I. (2008) “Strange Ecology” in Deleuze-Guattari’s A Thousand Plateaus. An [Un]Likely Alliance: Thinking Environment[s] with Deleuze|Guattari (B. Herzogenrath, Ed.). Cambridge Scholar Publishing.   

Haraway, D. (2016) Staying with the Trouble. Duke University Press.  

Herzogenrath, B. (2008) Introduction. An [Un]Likely Alliance: Thinking Environment[s] with Deleuze|Guattari. Cambridge Scholar Publishing. 

Malone, N. & Ovenden, K. (2017) Natureculture. The International Encyclopedia of Primatology (A. Fuentes, Ed.) John Wiley & Sons. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9781119179313.wbprim0135  

Morton, T. (2016) Dark Ecology: For a Logic of Future Coexistence. Cambridge University Print. 

Shelomi, M. (2019). Entomoludology: Arthropods in video games. American Entomologist, 65(2), 97–104. 

Wilde, P. (2024) A Stray Autoethnography: Becoming-Animal or Anthropomorphic Humanism?. Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2024 Conference: Playground. DiGRA. https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/2296

ABSTRACT. The word “game,” as Tom Tyler (2022, p. 8) rightly pointed out, has a dual meaning. On the one hand, there are games that we play – digital, video, board, interpersonal, political, and so on. On the other, there is the game we hunt – ducks, turkeys, foxes, and deer. It is not a surprise that a relationship between the act of playing and those being played is mirrored in the etymology of their English names. While this tension has been widely discussed in posthumanities (Singer, 2015; Wolfe, 2010; Haraway, 2008; others), the game medium is bound to be the sphere where such power play is explicit. In games, the line between partnership and objectification blurs. We have various relationships with avatars (Papale, 2014) and other characters; all in-game characters, however, are also objects, and the whole game is a resistant object created for the players’ pleasure (Janik, 2022). Non-human animals are usually used to please players and therefore play subservient roles, whether it is enemies to fight, companions to enjoy, or tools to use (Jański, 2016). There are games, however, that actively undermine the traditional anthropocentrism of the medium. The Last Guardian (2016) features a cooperative, interspecies relationship (Doyle-Myerscough, 2021); Stray (2022) points to the limitations of human agency and perception (Wilde, 2024), although at times fails to avoid human cognition being imposed on its cat avatar. Imbierowicz (2022) argues that in-game animals represented in a respectful way are individual (characterized by more than their species), powerful (allowed to choose their own path), and ephemeral (possible to lose). Such representation plays out both on the narrative and on the procedural level and is shaped by the value that the game attributes to animals’ wellbeing, decisions, relationships, or life. It must be said, however, that while employing such respectful representation often makes for a less anthropocentric game, these traits can sometimes work against each other as well. The Pale Beyond (2023), a survival game featuring a polar expedition, is an interesting example. Through the game, the player, embodying a captain of the ship, enters a friendly relationship with various crew members; among others, there is Ingrid Cordell, a sled master, and her pack of dogs. As a captain of the ship, we must decide whom to support in various conflicts and with much-needed resources. Towards the end of the game, unsurprisingly, there are some tough decisions to make; people can be lost or even sacrificed. The dogs, however, unlike human characters, must die. The dogs in The Pale Beyond are ephemeral – they are lost, and their lives are represented as a thing of value, also emotional, like in so many other texts of culture, from Lassie Come Home (1943) to Fallout (1997). However, the fact that the game does not grant the player the option to try to save them, even if it proves impossible, makes both them and the player powerless. The game lures the player into a positive human-non-human relationship and then forces an anthropocentric lens on them, possibly aiming for emotional impact, but achieving something quite different. The players note “abruptly disassociat[ing]” and feeling “alienated” (missingno, 2023); the plot of the game has been called “lousy” (vaxquis, 2023) because of the dog issue. It is interesting to see such dissatisfaction not only as a result of abusing what many players love (dogs) but also as a result of the hypocrisy embedded in the game. At first, The Pale Beyond makes the player believe that the dogs might be regarded quite highly if they so decide; then, however, does not allow them to protect the dogs no matter the result, effectively taking away their choice. It is interesting whether the feelings of frustration and disengagement are caused by the dogs’ deaths or the harsh limitation of the player’s power. This presentation is a close reading of The Pale Beyond (2023), with a focus on how it treats the non-human animals portrayed in the game. I will be using a materialist and posthumanist perspective to show that even though the game does not disregard players’ feelings towards dogs, it still uses them to evoke emotional reactions that many players right now see as too manipulative to evoke pleasure from playing. The game is an example of how newer games treat the animal issue: the respectful and satisfactory ways animals can be represented in games are still being developed. Because with the growing sensibilities around animals, games are at a crossroads: what has worked before might not now, and where we are going now might turn out to be the controversial path in just a few years.

ABSTRACT. Teaching video game design is challenging due to its plural and interdisciplinary nature, lack of theoretical and methodological consensus, and idiosyncratic dependence in its iterative process and practice. We analyze the game design documents (GDDs) generated over several years by teams of students in university video game design and development subjects. Observations and samples suggest game implementations are guided by informal discussions and not by design practices discussed in class and included in the materials. The delivered GDDs have content patterns (favoring flowcharts, lists and tables) but not structural patterns in the schema, and they are not iterated with the same frequency as game prototypes. We conclude that students are tasked with a practical, iterative process requiring knowledge and experience they lack. They use GDDs for documentation, not design, leading to costly and redundant teacher monitoring. Teaching video game design should include flexible guidelines for structure, methodology, and content through practice.

ABSTRACT. The world of games is no longer a males-only field of cultural leisure and labor practices. Many women and girls, and other marginalized groups, have taken console controls to heart and hands, embraced a variety of computer games and player modes, design games and participate in e-sports. The industry and academy and governmental policies have during a number of years attempted to help balance the field in regards to gender equality. Yet, despite these efforts, games and their industries and labor markets leave much to be desired in terms of representation, equality and inclusion. In line with the general aim of DiGRA 2025 to take stock of game studies, this presentation briefly reports on the findings from a research initiative that explores what has been done and what it now takes to diversify games and the game industry, from the perspective of those most implicated in it, namely feminist game design researchers, game designers and industry stakeholders.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract proposes an examination of how ZA/UM's video game Disco Elysium constructs a sense of social totality through its innovative "Thought Cabinet." Using theoretical frameworks from Kevin Lynch's urban imageability and Fredric Jameson's analysis of detective fiction, the abstract suggests that the game's externalization of cognitive mapping processes through its mechanics offers new possibilities for understanding how digital spaces can represent and critique social totalities, particularly in how the Thought Cabinet system projects psychological processes onto geographical features and urban infrastructure in ways that parallel Jameson's analysis of how detective fiction creates an illusion of completeness through the integration of social and geographic space.

ABSTRACT. On March 3rd, 2023, a forum user by the nickname of Veddge posted a custom-made map of Doom II: Hell on Earth (id Software/Nighttime Studios [1994] 2024) in a DoomWorld thread named “MyHouse.wad” (Veddge 2023). In it, “Steve Nelson” tells the tragic story of “Thomas,” his friend, who has taken his own life, and how he has found an old floppy-disk containing a recreation of his friends’ parents’ house in Doom. After porting the .wad file to GZDoom, it has been released to the wider community as myhouse.pk3. Deceptively advertised as “1 map: Not much of a challenge and roughly 10 minutes of play time,” it is in fact a deviously extensive, intricately modelled map designed to play tricks on the senses, utilising many UDMF features to hide the operations of the map and thereby disorient the player. The documentation of the creative process in the map’s Google Drive folder (veddge1987), including its typographical choices, as well as an in-game labyrinth, an endless staircase and a reference to “Navidson Realty” all serve to brand MyHouse as an hommage to Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves (Zampanò 2000). This paper takes this intertextual reference as its departure point and asserts that Veddge has not simply been inspired by the novel, but that the entirety of the map’s presentation and its spatial poetics are fundamentally homologous to that of book. I therefore propose to read MyHouse through a comparative media analytical perspective, identifying the techniques of “spatial rape” (Navidson quoted in Zampanò 2000, 55) the map uses to systematically confound players and exercise its machinic agency over them. Taking Henry Jenkins’ claim that game design can be read as narrative architecture (2004) to its logical conclusion, I argue that the spatial configuration of MyHouse is segmented strategically to recreate the experience of narrative space as reported within the novel. Although the edifice that was the basis of the map exists in real life, the adaptation of it into Doom II is “a reductive operation leading to a representation of space that is not in itself spatial, but symbolic and rule-based,” and as such, a “figurative [comment] on the ultimate impossibility of representing real space” (Aarseth 2007, 45-47) – let alone fictional space. Likewise, in the novel, “it is suggested that the space in the house always alters itself according to the psychological state of the character who occupies it” (Farmasi 2023, 115), which points towards an implied cybernetic feedback loop within the text. Both the novel and the map “challenge traditional concepts of mazes by creating liminal spaces that seem to reproduce physical spaces but in fact incorporate ever-changing, unmappable features” (Fernández-Vara 2007, 75). Due to the presence of Greek mythology, particularly the labyrinth and the Minotaur in the original text, “a parallel is drawn between the [textual] monster and the narrative space of the novel” (Farmasi 2023, 113). The rearranging of the spaces of the house allows for a cybertextual reading that was sensitively performed by several scholars (Hayles 2002; Kuhn 2018, 179-227; Rubenfire 2020; Wolf 2002), with many leaning on Aarseth’s concept of ergodic literature (1997) to make sense of the interpretative efforts required for felicitous readings of the text. Most importantly, I would like to draw attention to Caracciolo’s exhortation to read House of Leaves through the lens of video games: “the horror of endless corridors experienced by the protagonist also evokes the distinctive aesthetics of first-person shooters [like] Doom. The maze-like hallways are perhaps the most memorable location of close-quarters combat in Doom” (2023, 676). How fitting that the literary should emerge anew in its ludic reincarnation! In my intermedial analysis (Fuchs and Thoss, eds. 2019, Neitzel 2015, Thon 2016), I focus on how myhouse.pk3 behaves in the precise manner outlined in Zampanò’s description of the Navidson home movie. The reader takes on a more configurative role compared to the implied reader of traditional realist fiction, since “readers are expected not only to imagine but to enact Johnny’s experience. Moreover, readers are also expected to creatively participate” (Farmasi 2023, 115) for cognitively mapping scenes. Fortunately, the behind-the-scenes workings of the map are well-documented (Power Pak 2023). The map itself plays with a.) differring interior/exterior representations of space, b.) disorientation through the abstraction of navigational landmarks, c.) and the “devious and dialectical” “spatial discontinuities” of postmodern space, wherein “urban alienation is directly proportional to the mental unmapability” of cognitively represented space (Jameson 1990, 353). By breaking down how these techniques are applied to both text and game map, I also attempt to answer “the unanswered question of what is so unfathomable and so insurmountable in reality that it can only be represented as a fiction” (Bailes 2019, 25). I locate this in the interpersonal trauma of failing human relationships in the paratextual stories (Veddge’s separation from his wife, the death of “Thomas Allord”), losses that are sublated in the making of myhouse.pk3. In particular, I indicate two instances of the irruption of the Real into the game’s space. First, the QR code engraved on the tombstone that takes the player to an obituary of “Steve Nelson,” the supposed creator of the map, which, if true, would imply a rather on-the-nose invocation of the death of the author as a trope. But a second, more succint encapsulation of the unfathomableness of the Real is present in the endless spiral staircase, where falling into the void is tantamount to eternal suicide. Ultimately, these two figures of “death” are the cornerstones of the motivation behind the artistic achievement of myhouse.pk3. Interleaving the novel with the game therefore illuminates the latter’s attempts to spatialise and render imaginable the irrepresentability of loss and lack. REFERENCES Aarseth, E. 1997. Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Aarseth, E. 2007. “Allegories of Space.” In F. von Borries, S.P. Walz, M. Bottger, D. Davidson, H. Kelley, and J. Kücklich, eds. Space Time Play: Synergies between Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism: The Next Level. Springer Science & Business Media. 44–7. Bailes, J. 2019. Ideology and the Virtual City: Videogames, Power Fantasies and Neoliberalism. Winchester, UK: Zero Books. Caracciolo, M. 2023. “Remediating Video Games in Contemporary Fiction: Literary Form and Intermedial Transfer.” Games and Culture 18.5, 664-683. Farmasi, L. 2023. Narrative, Perception, and the Embodied Mind: Towards a Neuro-narratology. New York and London: Routledge. Fernández-Vara, C. 2007. “Labyrinth and Maze: Video Game Navigation Challenges.” In F. von Borries, S.P. Walz, M. Bottger, D. Davidson, H. Kelley, and J. Kücklich, eds. Space Time Play: Synergies between Computer Games, Architecture and Urbanism: The Next Level. Springer Science & Business Media. 74-77. Fuchs, M., and J. Thoss, eds. 2019. Intermedia Games – Games Inter Media: Video Games and Intermediality. London: Bloomsbury. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/waterloo/detail.action?docID=5609667. Hayles, N. K. 2002. “Saving the Subject: Remediation in House of Leaves.” American Literature 74.4, 779-806. id Software/Nighttime Studios. [1994] 2024. Doom II: Hell on Earth. PC, GOG. Bethesda Softworks. Jameson, F. 1990. “Cognitive Mapping.” In: Nelson, C. and Grossberg, L., eds. Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. 347-60. Jenkins, H. 2004. “Game Design as Narrative Architecture.” In N. Wardrip-Fruin and P. Harrigan, eds. First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 118-130. Kuhn, B. 2018. “Gaming and Literature: Virtual Game Immersion in Contemporary Print Text.” PhD Thesis, University of Essex. https://repository.essex.ac.uk/24103/1/BKuhn%20Complete%20Thesis%20FINAL.pdf. Neitzel, B. 2015. “Chapter 31: Performing Games: Intermediality and Videogames.” In G. Rippl, ed., Handbook of Intermediality: Literature - Image - Sound - Music. Berlin, München, Boston: De Gruyter. 584-602. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110311075-033. Power Pak. 2023. “MyHouse.WAD - Inside Doom's Most Terrifying Mod.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wAo54DHDY0. Rubenfire, J. 2020. “Unusual Effort: Ergodic Literature and its Relationship with Remediation.” In Passage 3, 86-103. Thon, J-N. 2016. Transmedial Narratology and Contemporary Media Culture. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. “veddge1987.” 2023. “MyHouse.” Google Drive folder. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18Nx7kUQwmxUGoXqL6FiUwFY--up64fgo. “Veddge.” 2023. “MyHouse.wad.” DoomWorld forums. March 3rd. https://www.doomworld.com/vb/thread/134292. Wolf, M. J. P. 2002. “Chapter 3: Space in the Video Game.” In The Medium of the Video Game. 51-76. Zampanò. 2000. Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. Introduction and notes by Johnny Truant. Second Edition. New York: Pantheon Books.

ABSTRACT. Throughout this paper, I present findings from ethnographic observations on players who defined themselves and their broader community as “explorers”. These explorers all shared a love for pushing beyond conventional map spaces in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft. Exploration, I argue, questions norms surrounding both spatial borders as well as digital navigation. As such, through intentionally breaking in-game environments these players formed alternative contact and connection with World of Warcraft’s spatial formations.

ABSTRACT. The growing support for populist parties among young voters raises the question of where and how young people, especially young men, receive political content. Supposedly a-political platforms, such as the streaming platform Twitch, which attracts large audiences, especially in the gaming community, remain largely neglected in the field of political communication. With its wide reach, Twitch is increasingly being used to appeal to young target groups, as already became clear in the US election campaign Trump vs Harris. Twitch (similar to TikTok) could play a significant role in upcoming elections, for example the 2025 federal elections in Germany, as not only opinion leaders are active on the platform, but also the parties themselves stream live (e.g., Jungeuniongaming) (Kim, 2024). However, Twitch is not only gaining importance as a strategically political platform; Streamers combine political content with gaming to initiate debates and mobilize young target groups (e.g., US-American Hasan Piker) (Foxman et al., 2023; Harris et al., 2023). While the audience hardly visits Twitch as a source for political news, they might receive news peripherally, similar to concepts known from social media research like incidental news exposure (INE) (Tewksbury et al., 2001). INE occurs when individuals encounter news content while engaging online for non-news-related purposes (Schäfer, 2023). Political content on Twitch is often emotionalized and simplified, which can facilitate the spread of disinformation (Boulianne & Lee, 2022; Foxman et al., 2023). While Twitch users are more likely to participate in right-wing protests (Boulianne & Lee, 2022), discussions on topics such as climate change show less polarization than on platforms such as Twitter (Navarro & Tapiador, 2023). Initial research approaches to political communication can be found primarily in the USA and Spain, while there is still a need for research in Germany and other European countries (Roca-Trenchs et al., 2024).

To date, there have only been a few studies that systematically examine the effects of the platform on the political attitudes and behavior of its users (e.g., Gürel & Eyüboğlu, 2023). In particular, the question of how political content is perceived and processed on Twitch has not yet been sufficiently clarified. The role of moderation mechanisms also remains unexplored: it is unclear to what extent these measures influence the spread of disinformation and the quality and tone of political discussions (Ask et al., 2019). While initial studies show the important role of streamers as opinion leaders (Harris et al., 2023), the long-term influence on political opinion formation and voting behavior remains unclear.

This study is part of a wider project to analyze the role of Twitch as entertainment media in affecting political opinion of young individuals. In this first explorative study, the aim is to identify and analyze political content on Twitch. Using Twitch's open-access Helix API (Application Interface Wrapper), streams from the 10 most influential German-speaking streamers who identify as male or female (N = 20) are scraped. Influence is assessed by the number of followers. Furthermore, streamers are only included if they have a clear gaming focus, address the German-speaking Twitch community, and have been active in the last 2 months prior to data scraping. As Twitch allows scraping data of past broadcasts (VODs) for up to 14 days after initial release and highlights and uploads do not expire unless manually deleted by the broadcaster (Twitch developer documentation), we expect a significant number of streams for the upcoming analysis. With the help of computer-aided methods, including the use of large language models (LLMs) and transformer models such as GPT, the content of the streams is analyzed for political content. First, the streaming videos are converted into text data using GPT and prepared for analysis. Afterwards, topic modeling using BertTopic will be used to reveal key political topics. We expect to identify political content in streams from producers who do not identify themselves as political content creators. Furthermore, we will look into differences of streamers who identify themselves as male or female regarding content, political alignment, and sentiment. We hope this first explorative analysis of political content on Twitch will reveal insights into the political news consumption on supposedly a-political platforms and if this could be an indicator how especially young people base their voting decisions. It will expand the research on incidental news exposure by addressing Twitch as important social media and explore the effects on the gaming community – a community which is oftentimes overlooked in the study of political news and opinion formation.

In further analysis, we will particularly look out for populist messages and disinformation on Twitch, as well as the investigation of real-time interactions between streamers and viewers. The aim is to record how political content is disseminated and received by the community. The results of our research will provide insights into how political messages and gaming merge on a platform like Twitch and, ultimately, what power they possess in the political arena.

References Ask, K., Spilker, H. S., & Hansen, M. (2019). The politics of user-platform relationships: Co-scripting live-streaming on Twitch. tv. First Monday, 24. DOI: 10.5210/fm.v24i7.9648 Boulianne, S., & Lee, S. (2022). Conspiracy beliefs, misinformation, social media platforms, and protest participation. Media and Communication, 10(4), 30-41. DOI: 10.17645/mac.v10i4.5667 Foxman, M., Harris, B. C., & Partin, W. C. (2024). Recasting Twitch: Livestreaming, Platforms, and New Frontiers in Digital Journalism. Digital Journalism, 1-21. DOI: 10.1080/21670811.2024.2329648 Gürel, E., & Eyüboğlu, E. (2023). Political Communication in digital Media and online political participation of generation Z. (4), 980-994. DOI: 10.7456/tojdac.1321756 Harris, B. C., Foxman, M., & Partin, W. C. (2023). “Don’t make me ratio you again”: How political influencers encourage platformed political participation. Social Media & Society, 9(2). DOI: 10.1177/20563051231177944 Kim, S. (2024). Understanding Political Communication and Political Communicators on Twitch (Pre-Print). Computers and Society. DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2407.05186 Navarro, A., & Tapiador, F. J. (2023). Twitch as a privileged locus to analyze young people’s attitudes in the climate change debate: a quantitative analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1-13. DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02377-4 Roca-Trenchs, N., López-Borrull, A., & Lalueza, F. (2024). Twitch como herramienta de comunicación política: análisis de potencialidades. Cuadernos. info, (57), 25-45. DOI:10.7764/cdi.57.64235 Schäfer, S. (2023). Incidental news exposure in a digital media environment: a scoping review of recent research. Annals of the International Communication Association, 47(2), 242–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2023.2169953 Tewksbury, D., Weaver, A. J., & Maddex, B. D. (2001). Accidentally informed: Incidental news exposure on the world wide web. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 78, 533–554. https://doi.org/10.1177/107769900107800309 Ventura, T., Munger, K., McCabe, K., & Chang, K. C. (2021). Connective effervescence and streaming chat during political debates. Journal of Quantitative Description: Digital Media, 1. DOI: 10.51685/jqd.2021.001

ABSTRACT. Planspiele—serious games developed and utilised to simulate complex real sociotechnical systems to train decision-making competencies—have a long and important tradition in Germanic history and culture (Herz and Blätte 2000; Rempe and Klösters 2006; Nohr 2019). Initially devised by the Prussian army as mechanisms of planning, exploring, and testing strategies of warfare during the late 18th century and refined throughout the 19th century, the games’ value for education was soon recognised and the underlying principles of this kind of simulation games adopted to other scenarios, such as economics, politics, and social processes (Wintjes 2019). While Planspiele mark the foundation for complex simulations, they also had an impact on ludology more broadly, particularly since an early version from 1811 used a physical sandbox to depict different terrains, later leading to contemporary ideas of sandbox games as free-to-roam places (von Hilgers 2000: 62–63). After the Second World War, education systems in the two Germanies and Austria drew on the concept of analogue Planspiele to further political education, economic knowledge, strategic thinking, and civic engagement and to “foster a range of cognitive and emotional benefits, such as enhanced problem-solving abilities, collaborative skills, and resilience in the face of challenges” (Christopoulos and Mystakidis 2023, 1223). In recent years, these simulations entered the digital realm in the form of hybrid or fully digital games (Freese, Schier, and Mühlhausen 2018), while analogue simulation games still have a central role in German and Austrian curriculum planning. This paper seeks to analyse Planspiele for educational purposes as depictions of pathways from two distinct but related perspectives: firstly, the relationship between analogue and digital and their impact on teaching and learning; and secondly, the relationship between public discourses and education to foster civic engagement and informed decision-making processes.

The first part focuses on design choices and developments of Planspiele used for education in their configurations as analogue, hybrid, and digital ludic experiences. By analysing exemplary games, these three modes of gaming are studied in relation to the processes used to foster critical (reflecting on a situation), explorative-heuristic (testing possibilities and variations), and structural (applying ludic situations to social reality) learning (Geuting 2000; Zeiner-Fink, Geithner, and Bullinger-Hoffmann 2023). The games analysed here are the analogue game GEMEINSAM.ÖSTERREICH REGIEREN (2018), developed by the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the hybrid game Commander Sisu – Shadow over Germany (n.d.), created by the public charity Junge Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft and the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung, and Moderate Cuddlefish (2017), a digital game created by Germany-based developer Topicbird in collaboration with the government agency Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung and social workers. The study of these games foregrounds the mode of engagement offered to players through the different frameworks created by design choices and their impact on the act of learning, such as collaborative gameplay, accessibility, current affairs, engaging/interactive design, and complexity of the presentation mode of topics.

The second part of this study is interested in the relationship between Planspiele and the public discourse around topics addressed in them (Bühler 2020). It draws on the rich archive of Planspiele created by government bodies in Germany, notably the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung with its database of over 200 games for education, and Planpolitik, a Berlin-based provider of over 100 Planspiele, created in collaboration with public bodies, such as the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Goethe Institut. These games serve as the corpus to determine the relationship between the topics addressed in these games and the socio-cultural discourses around the same issues. The games are classified into five thematic tracks, namely politics, society (including migration and discrimination), economy, the legal system, and sustainability (including climate change and smart city planning), to be able to understand the focus of the educational endeavours of these games. In particular, the relationship between game design, target audience, modes of communication, and potential for learning are researched to understand better how Planspiele can be used in the education sector and to what effect. Besides games produced and/or provided by government-related bodies, this section also considers how commercially made Planspiele, such as Path Out (2017), which renders an individual’s experience to mirror that of millions in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis, can be used to encourage critical thinking, compassion, and civic engagement, while the Islamophobic game Moschee Baba (2010), released by the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), serves as an example of political radicalism in digital simulations.

This chapter hence argues that Planspiele, with their origins in military strategy and subsequent adaptation for educational use, have demonstrated significant utility in fostering decision-making competencies and socio-cognitive skills by offering modes of engagement that support critical reflection, explorative-heuristic problem-solving, and structural understanding (Rappenglück 2017). By examining their educational purpose and value in terms of design choices, thematic focus, and modes of learning, this study underscores the need for carefully crafted simulation games to foster informed and socially aware citizens.

REFERENCES

Austrian Freedom Party and Goal. 2010. Moschee Baba. Online Game. Goal.

Austrian Ministry of the Interior. 2018. GEMEINSAM.ÖSTERREICH REGIEREN. Tabletop Game. Austrian Ministry of the Interior.

Bühler, B. 2020. “Virtuelle Ökologie.” In Handbuch Virtualität, edited by D. Kasprowicz and S. Rieger, 149–164. Wiesbaden, Germany: Springer VS.

Causa Creations and Abdullah Karam. 2017. Path Out. PC Game. Causa Creations.

Christopoulos, A., and Mystakidis, S. 2023. “Gamification in Education.” Encyclopedia. 3 (4): 1223–1243. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia3040089.

Freese, M., Schier, S., and Mühlhausen, T. 2018. “Computer- oder Brettspiel?” In Planspiele – Interaktion Gestalten: Über die Vielfalt der Methode, edited by C. Hühn, S. Schwägele, B. Zürn, D. Bartschat, and F. Trautwein, 43–56. Norderstedt, Germany: Books on Demand.

Geuting, M. 2000. “Soziale Simulation und Planspiel in pädagogischer Perspektive.” In Simulation und Planspiel in den Sozialwissenschaften: Eine Bestandsaufnahme der internationalen Diskussion, edited by D. Herz and A. Blätte, 15–61. Münster, Germany: LIT.

Herz, D., and Blätte, A. 2000. Simulation und Planspiel in den Sozialwissenschaften: Eine Bestandsaufnahme der internationalen Diskussion. Münster, Germany: LIT.

Junge Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung. n.d. Commander Sisu – Shadow over Germany. Hybrid game. Junge Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung.

Nohr, R. F. 2019. Unternehmensplanspiele 1955–1975: Die Herstellung unternehmerischer Rationalität im Spiel. Münster, Germany: LIT.

Rappenglück, S. 2017. “Planspiele in der Praxis der politischen Bildung: Entwicklung, Durchführung, Varianten und Trends.” In Planspiele in der Politischen Bildung, edited by A. Petrik and S. Rappenglück, 17–34. Schwalbach, Germany: Wochenschau Verlag.

Rempe, A., and Klösters, K. 2006. Das Planspiel als Entscheidungstraining. 2nd edition. Stuttgart, Germany: W. Kohlhammer.

Topicbird. 2017. Moderate Cuddlefish. Online Game. Topicbird.

von Hilgers, P. 2000. “Eine Anleitung zur Anleitung: Das taktische Kriegsspiel 1812–1824.” International Journal for the Study of Board Games. 3: 59–78.

Wintjes, J. 2019. Das preußische Kriegsspiel. Verlag Barbara Budrich. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvpmw55c.

Zeiner-Fink, S., Geithner, S., and Billinger-Hoffmann, A. C. 2023. “Lerneffekte und Akzeptanz von Planspielen: Ein systematischer Literatur-Review.” Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung, Special Issue Planspiele, 18: 41–60.

ABSTRACT. My paper is a contribution to the existing ideological critique of video games. It employs Marxism to examine the way in which video games create the illusion of a unitary meaning. More specifically, my paper argues that modal consonance is the result of an ideological operation whereby linear representation functioning a network of points de capiton superimposes meaning onto gameplay.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the legal and material challenges of preserving and archiving video games in a global, post-colonial context.

See attached for extended abstract.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the availability of and access methods for digital games used by educators and researchers. It was conceptualized through prior collaboration with the Video Game History Foundation, which highlighted that many legacy digital games are inaccessible, despite their significance to game development, history, and education. Our work focuses on identifying criteria that could guide preservation and access priorities, as well as documenting various challenges experienced by individuals and organizations seeking to provide or obtain access to these games for non-recreational purposes.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the interactive movie with full-motion video (FMV) as an artifact of the attempts to merge two media: videogames and cinema. As a hybrid struggling to combine gameplay with narrative, the interactive movie perhaps unsurprisingly did not garner much scholarly attention in the early years – and turf wars – of game studies. Nonetheless, FMV games in general were an important game form across the 1980s and 1990s, well deserving of deeper consideration, and interactive movies represent a key subcategory of this form. The present paper summarizes the discourse on FMV games, the core makeup and structure of the interactive movie, before zooming in to focus on three titles, Dragon’s Lair (1983), Mad Dog McCree (1990), and Night Trap (1992). The authors analyze how these games leveraged, experimented with, and simultaneously were constrained by, then-new optical disc technology, and how the combination of FMV and CD-ROM shaped their gameplay mechanics. The paper concludes by situating these titles and their technologies in the evolutionary maze of the videogame and their continuing influence in the medium.

ABSTRACT. In this paper I consider the aesthetic value of difficulty in games by contrasting the difficulty of art and the aesthetic value of mechanical difficulty in games. Whereas both games and art can be difficult in terms of affects, emotions and interpretation, games tend to include also mechanical difficulty in terms of practical goals and unnecessary obstacles. I argue that mechanical difficulty can be aesthetically valuable by requiring from the player know-how, which can be understood as an art of playing. While difficulty and the demand of skill can bring forth exclusive gaming communities, they can also have aesthetic value in terms of developing oneself through cultivation of embodied skills.

Difficulty and art have often been linked together in various theoretical approaches, and art has often been expected to be difficult to distinguish from mere entertainment. For example, Bertolt Brecht (1964) argued that to make lasting effect, art must work through estrangement, Brecht’s continuation of the Russian formalist’s concept of defamiliarization, instead of empathetic and cathartic effects. Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer (2002) also demanded difficulty from art, claiming that mass culture hinders critical thought to the point of being politically dangerous. Similarly, Clement Greenberg (1961) argued that the function of avantgarde art is to resist the numbing effects of popular culture. This view has long historical roots in the demand of aesthetic autonomy and disinterestedness, such as Immanuel Kant’s (2000) aesthetic theory, in which aesthetic experience is detached from practical value.

Whereas the difficulty of art is usually related to emotional, affective and interpretive difficulties, games feature an additional level of mechanical difficulty. Jagoda (2018) has distinguished three levels of difficulty in games: mechanical, interpretive and affective difficulty. Games can have emotionally difficult themes and narrative structures that resist interpretation. For example, the Dark Souls series are known for their incomprehensible and obscure narratives, which require theory crafting and speculation within gaming communities. Games can also address emotionally difficult topics in their narratives, such as depression and abuse. While such difficulties can be aesthetically valuable as such, and mechanical difficulty can be considered as part of them in terms of ludifictional experience (Terrasa-Torres, 2021), the mechanical difficulty of progressing in a game has its own distinct aesthetic qualities.

Difficult art requires knowledge over aesthetic theories and the history of art, and difficult games demand knowledge of gameplay mechanics, strategies and in some cases the metaplay discussion. However, whereas the competence to appreciate art is more related to cultural capital required to understand aesthetic objects, the competence in gameplay is related more to practical gameplay skills that have been discussed, for example, in terms of gaming capital and ludic habitus (Jaćević, 2022; Korkeila & Harviainen, 2023).

Such skills do not involve only abstract knowledge but embodied and habitual skills, especially in fast-paced games. In ancient Greece art was discussed in terms of techne, which meant craft, know-how and practical skill instead of a group of objects like artworks (Shiner, 2014). In this sense, the skill required by mechanical difficulty in games can be considered as techne. Instead of relating to the ludofictional meaning of the game, the player’s skill as techne is an abstract notion that is not necessarily interpreted through the game’s fictional aspects but can be considered as an embodied cultivation of the player’s aesthetic sensibility (Nannini, 2022).

Such embodied know-how required by mechanical difficulty is not encountered only in games but in many other practices that involve a practical goal, such as crafts, playing a musical instrument, and other activities that are not necessarily goal-oriented but are often engaged in solely for the pleasure gained from activity itself, such as dancing. While bringing about a specific state of affairs, a prelusory goal in Suits’ (1978) lexicon, includes an interested attitude, in games such a goal can be detached from any practical value outside the game, resulting in aesthetic experience of one’s own agency, which Nguyen (2020) has discussed in terms of “disinterested interestedness”.

However, whereas the demand for difficulty in art has been based on its societal function of supporting critical thought, in game cultures the demand for difficulty can foster elitist and exclusive communities, in which novice players, as well as different gamer identities can encounter discrimination. Like Bourdieu’s (1984) notion of cultural capital, also gaming capital can function to distinguish players in terms of adequate skills and ways of playing. Hence, the disinterested attitude towards the practical skill of gameplay can serve an interested purpose within the social context of gameplay. Viewing difficulty and skill in terms of the art of playing and cultivation of one’s embodied sensibilities can provide an interpretation of the aesthetic value of difficulty that focuses more on the subjective experience of self-development than social distinction from others.

ABSTRACT. Regardless of the game’s playful tone, Nintendo’s approach to Yoshi’s Crafted World resembles a stealthy, conservative production strategy, which contextualizes our understanding of the publisher’s cautious decision-making process. Not only does it confirm the publisher’s pattern of prioritizing its financial interests, but also illuminates how Nintendo plays into consumer culture and contributes to the destruction of our planet by normalizing trash and mass consumption. Time and again even at the cost of silencing some urgent socio-political issues by means of supporting the political status quo, while almost simultaneously urging its customers to refrain from bringing any political and formerly even socially “sensitive” content into its games

ABSTRACT. This paper is about videogames and care: care as the ontological essence of being, videogames as spaces for playing with alternate modes of being-as-care, and care as an ethics for thinking about why games and what we do in games matters. Using Heidegger's concept of care as a starting point, I trace connections to ideas of agency in games and to Joan Tronto's care ethics. I discuss the videogame Journey (2012) and the performance artwork and online game Domestic Tension (2007) by Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal. Care is a central concern in these two radically different works, both reparative and disruptive, built by design and also emerging unplanned.

ABSTRACT. In the recent decades, esports has grown immensely in both market size and cultural relevance, with forecasts indicating sustained momentum. Viewership statistics underscore this rapid expansion, rising from 435.7 million global viewers in 2020 to a projected 640.8 million by 2025 (Statista, 2024). This remarkable trajectory has been propelled by a highly participatory fan culture and the continuous advancement of digital platforms. Fans—described as engaged and skilled audiences who enhance media experiences through interpretive and creative practices (Abercrombie & Longhurst, 1998)—have been central to esports' evolution, which traces its origins to modded fan creations (Jarrett, 2024). Digital platforms like YouTube and Twitch have revolutionized fan engagement, enabling real-time interactions through live chat, fostering emotional bonds with streamers, and introducing effective monetization mechanisms such as subscriptions and donations (Gasparetto & Safronov, 2023). These platforms have facilitated global connectivity, fostering dynamic and vibrant communities that transcend geographical boundaries. The interplay between online platforms and fan communities has positioned esports as a unique cultural phenomenon reflecting the evolving dynamics of the digital age. (Jin, 2022). While esports fandoms are often compared to traditional sports fandoms, researchers highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of fan diversity (Barney & Pennington, 2023; Rietz & Hallmann, 2023). No single type of fandom can fully capture the complexities of esports communities (Jarrett, 2024). The heterogeneity of esports fandoms is evident in the variation of engagement practices and fan identities. Taylor (2012) highlights the tensions between dedicated fans and casual spectators stemming from esports' rapid growth. Yin and Xu (2023) explore the gendered dynamics of fandom, showing how the practices of women and girls challenge the hegemonic masculinity often associated with esports. Furthermore, fan behaviors differ across platforms: Twitch supports live participatory engagement (Taylor, 2018), while X (formerly Twitter) fosters emotive responses during gameplay and analytical discussions during intermissions. Geographic contexts add further complexity. In South Korea, platforms like DCInside, Inven, FM Korea, and PGR foster distinct communities shaped by platform-specific affordances and structures (Jin,2022). Jarrett (2024) advocates for deeper exploration of genre, geography, demographics, and platform-specific dynamics to fully understand esports fandom’s evolving nature. Given this context, this study aims to contribute to esports and fandom literature by examining B.stage, a global fandom platform, and its integration with League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) teams. The research investigates how B.stage transforms fan engagement and practices, offering insights into the broader evolution of esports fandom and its ecosystem. B.stage is a global fandom platform akin to Weverse, which was launched in 2019 by HYBE and Naver to enrich fandom culture through tailored fan services and merchandise sales (Shin & Hwang, 2022). By late 2023, Weverse hosted 117 artist communities, garnering 10.5 million Monthly Active Users (MAUs) and 113 million downloads, 90% of which originated from 245 non-Korean countries (WeVerse News, 2023). While similar platforms focused on K-pop, B.stage expanded its scope to include esports, actors, musicals, and digital content creators since its launch in 2021. By August 2024, B.stage reported 3 million MAUs across 230 countries, with significant engagement from regions such as the United States, South Korea, Japan, France, and Brazil (b.stage, 2024). Notably, four LCK teams—T1, Dplus KIA, Gen.G, and KT Rolster—operate active communities on B.stage, alongside U.S.-based esports organization Sentinels, which joined in 2023. B.stage signifies a fundamental shift within the esports fandom ecosystem, moving from historically decentralized, open platforms like Reddit, Discord, YouTube, and Twitch to a centralized, closed-platform model. By consolidating content streaming, fan communication, and monetization strategies into a single ecosystem, B.stage provides an alternative space for community identity formation and direct player interactions. These private communities differ from traditional open-access fan spaces by offering unique participation opportunities through a monthly membership model. Prior studies on Weverse demonstrate that such models not only unify fandoms but also enhance their commercial value through exclusive content and monetization strategies (Shin & Hwang, 2022; Toneva & Kwak, 2024). Centralized platforms like B.stage exemplify the transformative potential of emerging fan engagement models to reshape audience behaviors and unlock new economic opportunities within esports fandom. This study, part of a broader longitudinal research project on global esports fandom, employs a three-month digital ethnography of esports fan communities on B.stage. Digital ethnography is particularly suitable for examining how participants construct meaning in digital social environments (Pink et al., 2016). The study focuses on analyzing platform structure, content offerings, and user interactions with two objectives: (1) a comparative analysis of the four LCK team communities on B.stage and (2) an exploration of how platform affordances and team-specific strategies influence fan engagement practices. By examining the co-creative interactions between platforms and fandoms and identifying distinct fandom typologies, this research advances scholarly understanding of emerging dynamics within esports culture. It situates itself within broader discussions of digital games' cultural and social significance (Hutchins, 2008; Richardson, Hjorth, & Davies, 2021; Taylor, 2012). Moreover, the findings provide actionable strategies for esports teams to foster long-term sustainability and contribute to the growth of the broader esports ecosystem.

ABSTRACT. This article will analyze two mobile video games, Lugawan ni Leni [Leni’s Porridge Shop] (Coffee Brain Games, 2022) and Let Leni Lead (Cordless Games, 2022). Released during the height of the 2022 Philippine Presidential Campaign, both games are election and propaganda games that endorses and supports the candidacy of former Philippine Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo for president. By analyzing the two games’ design and mechanics, the games attempt to affect the discourse surrounding Leni Robredo will be highlighted. The essay will conclude with the possibilities and limits of the two games in soliciting electoral votes and political action.

ABSTRACT. Character intimacy games are works of “interactive software centered on simulating intimate relationship between characters, featuring systems that facilitate imagined intimacy between game players and characters” (Bruno 2023a, 17). Predominantly associated with anime-manga media, they center their experience on establishing, developing and fulfilling intimate bonds with fictional characters, inviting and fostering parasocial phenomena in players through a combination of software mechanics and narrative content. Within the Japanese media landscape, character intimacy games tend to fall within the purview adult computer game production, that is works that feature explicit sexual intercourse in pornographic fashion. In turn, adult computer games ten to be mostly oriented towards audiences presumed to be male, heterosexual and culturally Japanese. As entertainment products distributed through circuits distinct from generalist entertainment, male-oriented adult computer games allow examinations of cultural trends that may be less visible in generalist video game production. Far from being ‘limited’ to works featuring problematic, harmful sexual content – such as sexual violence – in pornographic fashion, under approached trends can also be seen in adult computer games which feature storylines in which Japan is a setting of political struggle or the locus of a dystopian setting. The intersection between deliberate, male-centric perspectives – by way of target audience – and the depiction of political struggle and dystopian settings is particularly interesting, as it leads to the emergence of recurring, accumulative trends in plot construction, character design and interactions. Two recent examples of these tendencies are Otome Sekai no Arukikata [Walking in the Maiden’s World] (Orthors 2024) and doHna:doHna -Issho ni Warui Koto o Shiyou- [Dohna Dohna ~ Let's Do Bad Things Together] (Alice Soft 2020). In the former, players are placed in the shoes of Katagiri Yui, a boy that, by a twist of fate, grows amidst girls and women within a dystopic Japan that implemented a “Gender Isolation Act”. The latter instead places players in the role of Kuma, a young adult which, to fund his own resistance group against a tyrannical corporation, sets up a prostitution racket, in competition with other criminal and rebel factions. Both games arguably offer localized versions of the “White Imperial Pleasures” as described by Meghna Jayanth (2021), in that they offer a Japanese – whose culturally odorless design is nevertheless depicted in a way that neutralizes East-Asian somatic features – protagonist in contrast with a female other. Otome no Sekai no Arukikata attempts to produce a dramatization of gender contrast and conflict through dystopian fiction: against the backdrop of an AI-driven war, players are led towards developing affection and parasocial phenomena towards characters raised in a female-supremacist society, where the extinction of the male sex is seen as desirable. doHna:doHna -Issho ni Warui Koto o Shiyou- does so by building on shock value, and putting the player into the role of a pimp, contextualized as the sole way of funding a resistance effort, and by deploying a deliberate split between romanceable women characters and women abducted and used for prostitution. Such games tap into a presumed male, Japanese, heterosexual model player, which is deemed to be receptive to assuming the roles of Otome no Sekai no Arukikata and doHna:doHna -Issho ni Warui Koto o Shiyou-. Just as there might be a conflation of the “model player” as the “white player” (Jayant 2021), there also might be a conflation of the model Japanese adult computer game player as the “male, Japanese player”. A third strand of this tendency can be found in works where Japan is depicted as struggling. Within the universe of Muv Luv (âge 2003-2024), and in particular its first installments, Muv Luv Extra and Muv Luv Alternative, Imperial Japan is depicted as the political flagship in East Asia against alien invaders and in competition with the United States as allies of convenience. Therein, players traverse a character intimacy game while fighting on the side of Imperial Japan – sanitized via the use of alternative history – becoming a literal “male, imperial Japanese player”. Through an examination of Otome no Sekai no Arukikata, doHna:doHna -Issho ni Warui Koto o Shiyou- and Muv Luv, this presentation highlights how the assumptions of a model Japanese, male, heterosexual player may reinforce “oppressive social relationships and enact new modes of racial profiling” (Mukherjee 2023), in a locally situated, non-European context, where the cultural reckoning of Japanese colonialism remains to be addressed. REFERENCES âge. 2003. Muv Luv Extra. Computer Game. Tōkyō: MAGES. Inc. âge. 2006. Muv Luv Alternative. Computer Game. Tōkyō: MAGES. Inc. Alice Soft. 2020. doHna:doHna -Issho ni Warui Koto o Shiyou- [Dohna Dohna ~ Let's Do Bad Things Together]. Computer Game. Ōsaka: Champion Soft Business Corporation. Bruno, Luca Paolo. 2023a. “Imagining, Guiding, Playing Intimacy - A Theory of Character Intimacy Games -.” PhD Dissertation, Leipzig: Universität Leipzig. Jayanth, Meghna, “White Protagonism and Imperial Pleasures in Game Design #DIGRA21,” Medium (blog), December 7, 2021, https://medium.com/@betterthemask/white-protagonism-and-imperial-pleasures-in-game-design-digra21-a4bdb3f5583c. Mukherjee, Souvik. 2023. "Coded Colonialism and Ludic Empires (Extended): Downloadable Content and Strategy Games." ROMchip 5, no. 1. Orthros. 2024. Otome Sekai no Arukikata [Waking in the Maiden’s World]. Computer Game. Tōkyō: Orthros.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines the evolving representation of soft masculinity in Chinese video games, and its decline under the Chinese cultural policy. Cultural shifts, particularly the emergence of LGBTQ+ identities, have challenged traditional masculine ideals in China through cultural globalization. This study investigates the impact of government policies, specifically the QingLang Campaign, which aims to restrict depictions of soft masculinity to counter perceived Western influences. Using “Genshin Impact”, a top-selling Chinese game, as a case study, the research analyzes male characters released before and after the campaign's operation in September 2021. Through textual analysis on the male protagonist’s visual and verbal content (e.g.: appearance, story, accessories, narrative and plot with other BL enthusiasts) and the online discussion of the gaming fans with Boy Love fantasy, the study anticipates a decline in perceived representations of soft masculinity in game characters. Findings aim to enhance discussions in reception and game studies, particularly regarding the gamers’ dilemma between loyalty to their beloved characters and resistance against the diminishing soft masculinity under the suppressing cultural policy.

ABSTRACT. I argue that the Love is All Around’s unexpected success and wandan-likes’ continued popularity stems from how the games address disenfranchised masculinity, often characterised by self-depreciation (Szablewicz, 2012) and hopelessness (Tan & Cheng, 2020), by offering a semblance of control over their (virtual) romantic fates. However, this bleak reflection still comes with the price of female objectification, as women are characterised as out-of-reach commodities rather than equal sufferers in a post-capitalist society.

ABSTRACT. A common feature of video game documentaries is their reliance on research to inform the production process, with the primary objective being the creation of a finished film or mini-series. This paper proposes to invert that process by positioning documentary filmmaking as the primary methodological tool for conducting research on online gaming communities. It advocates for its potential for collecting and interpreting in-game and off-game data, with the research findings serving as the central outcome. We begin by framing documentary filmmaking as a creative form of video ethnography. We then discuss some of the advantages of this approach, by questioning the agency of the participants and that of the researcher simultaneously. We base our arguments on close reading of four recent video game documentaries that highlight European voices, as well as our experience in conducting video ethnography and creating a video game documentary.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the potential of screenshots to observe, reflect and theorize game cultures. Screenshots are commonly used to document, advertise, and criticize digital games. We suggest a praxiographic perspective on screenshots to understand what these digital metapictures, i. e. still images of and about movable images, 'know' about the aesthetics and practice of games.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract considers the tabletop gaming table and the way in which it functions to create and managed social spaces.

ABSTRACT. The release of Black Myth: Wukong (BMW) in August 2024 marked a watershed moment for China’s game industry. Inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, the game achieved remarkable success, selling 10 million copies and earning $450 million in revenue within its first three days. This unprecedented market performance, coupled with critical acclaim, also drove increased cultural tourism, underscoring the complex ways in which cultural authenticity, narrative design, and advanced technologies can resonate globally. This paper examines BMW’s success through four interwoven theoretical lenses—representation theory, cultural hybridity, procedural rhetoric, and ludonarrative resonance—to elucidate how cultural authenticity and global game conventions converge in shaping player experiences and broader socio-economic impacts. By analyzing BMW’s cultural representation, technological innovation, and market as well as social outcomes, this study contributes to ongoing discussions about how culturally enriched games can reshape global perceptions of local traditions, stimulate economic growth, and encourage meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.

ABSTRACT. Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science 2024) is an action RPG inspired by Journey to the West, praised for its stunning visuals and storytelling. A cutscene Nosense! exemplifies its ability to blend Buddhist philosophical themes with emotional storytelling, particularly through its depiction of the Three Poisons in Buddhism—Attachment, Aversion, and Ignorance. This research explores two central questions: (1) How do multimodal elements in Nosense! work together to represent the cultural concept of Three Poisons? (2) What role does this cutscene play in the broader narrative and thematic structure of Black Myth: Wukong? The study contributes to an understanding of how video games employ multimodal storytelling to represent complex cultural concepts.

Previously, video games have been proven as a medium of cultural representation. Cerezo-Pizarro et al. (2023) demonstrate them as cultural artifacts transmitting values and reflecting societal concerns, especially evident in games incorporating traditional cultural elements. Sun (2024) also illustrates how Chinese aesthetics and symbols in farm simulation games create spaces that resonate with national identity. However, cultural representation in games can be problematic, as Šisler (2008) discusses through the example of stereotypical portrayals in European games.

Cutscenes have been critiqued particularly within ludology. According to Eskelinen (2001) and Juul (2011), cutscenes are interruptions of gameplay, non-interactive and peripheral to mechanics. Eskelinen (2001) dismisses cutscenes as “ornamental marketing tools” irrelevant to the aesthetic essence of games, a view rooted in prioritizing configurative over interpretative practices. However, recent studies have begun to acknowledge cutscenes’ multifaceted roles in gaming narratives. Klevjer (2002) and Witchayapakorn (2021) identify several functions: providing critical visual information, establishing mood and shifting perspectives, offering moments of respite from intense action, and structuring gameplay by marking narrative transitions, enhancing gaming experience and deepening emotional and cultural resonance of game world.

In this context, this study applies Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to examine how Nosense! integrates audio, visual, and narrative elements to convey the Buddhist concept of the Three Poisons. MCDA analyzes meaning construction through multimodality, revealing the relationship between discourse and cultural representation (Jancsary et al. 2016). Intertextuality is also drawn to explore how Nosense! interacts with broader cultural and philosophical texts, recognizing dynamic connections between the game, Buddhism, and other media (Allen 2000). The dataset comprises the cutscene, analyzed through three categories: audio, visual, and narrative, helping uncover how these elements work together to communicate complex Buddhist ideas, providing insights into the emotional and philosophical dimensions of the game. As ongoing research, some preliminary findings are gathered highlighting the significant role of multimodal elements in shaping understanding of Buddhist philosophy, which suggest a complex, interwoven relationship between audio, visual, and narrative components, together creating an immersive representation of Three Poison.

The preliminary analysis of the Nosense! cutscene in Black Myth: Wukong reveals a deliberate narrative structure composed of four distinct sections: Beginning, Transformation, Climax, and Denouement. Each section contributes to the complex representation of the Three Poisons in Buddhism—Attachment, Aversion, and Ignorance—through an intricate blend of visual, auditory, and narrative elements.

In the Beginning, the scene opens with a free-fall shot through high clouds, descending into a storm and ultimately plunging into water, accompanied by the sound of bells. This auditory cue, reminiscent of Buddhist rituals, creates an initial atmosphere of solemnity and reflection. The perspective shifts to Yellow Brow’s first-person view, where a massive fishing net descends—a visual metaphor for entrapment, symbolizing the Buddhist concept of Attachment. The subsequent depiction of the village in a state of poverty, disease, and famine, coupled with background chanting, reinforces a sense of spiritual deprivation. The black, white, and grey color palette in this segment enhances the oppressive atmosphere, reflecting the pervasive influence of suffering and attachment, as described by Jancsary et al. (2016) in their work on multimodal discourse, which highlights how visual and auditory elements construct meaning through symbolic associations.

The Transformation section shifts from poverty to prosperity, as Yellow Brow’s divine powers are revealed. Here, Yellow Brow evolves from a mere provider of sustenance to a deity granting wealth, health, beauty, and food, embodying the Buddhist poison of Aversion—a dangerous attraction to materialism and idolization. As Witchayapakorn (2021) suggests, this transition exemplifies how games use visual changes (like vibrant colors and ornate temples) to symbolize shifts in cultural and spiritual values. The village’s transformation, depicted through the transition to ornate temples and wealth, mirrors a shift in spiritual devotion, but also the rise of Ignorance, as represented by Yellow Brow replacing Buddha statues in the temple. The chanting becomes chaotic, marking the loss of rationality and wisdom, with the temple now symbolizing the entwined nature of the Three Poisons—desire, hatred, and ignorance—as discussed in Buddhist philosophy.

The Climax of the cutscene is marked by a violent confrontation involving Yellow Brow, humans, and the treasures. A pivotal moment occurs when Yellow Brow cuts open its body to reveal jewels, followed by a close-up of the reflection in someone’s pupil. The intensity of the scene is heightened by strings and the appearance of lyrics: “Without desire, redemption is no more,” signifying the Buddhist belief in the cyclical nature of cause and effect. The focus on greed and the ensuing conflict encapsulates the destructive power of attachment, aversion, and ignorance, as noted by Allen (2000) in his exploration of intertextuality, where the text (in this case, the cutscene) engages with broader cultural and philosophical traditions. The rapid montage of greedy expressions and weapon-wielding crowds visually interprets the lyrics, connecting the audience to the moral lesson about the dangers of human desires.

In the Denouement, the village reverts to its original dilapidated state, completing the reversal of cause and effect. Yellow Brow’s final line, “Once again, I proved it to you, Jinchanzi,” underscores the cyclical nature of suffering and redemption central to Buddhist teachings. This return to decay illustrates the transient nature of material wealth and spiritual fulfillment, aligning with the Buddhist concept of impermanence. This thematic closure is in line with Eskelinen’s (2001) critique of cutscenes as peripheral to gameplay. However, our analysis demonstrates that cutscenes play a critical role in shaping the philosophical and emotional resonance of the narrative, providing moments of reflection that deepen the player’s engagement with the game’s cultural themes.

Overall, this study reinforces the significant role of cutscenes in video games as tools for cultural representation and philosophical exploration. By analyzing Nosense! through a multimodal lens, we see how audio, visual, and narrative elements work together to represent the Buddhist Three Poisons. These findings challenge the traditional view of cutscenes as mere interruptions to gameplay (Juul 2011), suggesting instead that they are integral to narrative structure and cultural representation in games. This research contributes to game studies by highlighting the importance of multimodal storytelling in enhancing the emotional and philosophical depth of video game narratives.

ABSTRACT. Wukong is a popular mythical figure worldwide, represented across various media. He embodies rebelliousness, fearlessness, and playfulness. Among modern adaptations, the recontextualisation of Wukong within speculative and futuristic worlds is particularly noteworthy. The playful character is strikingly explored as a cyborg and expelled Wukong in science fiction and video games. Wukong functions as mythological symbolism for a haunted past, an extended present, and alternate futures in the speculative landscape.

Speculative mythology, coined by Hungerford (1941), inclines with structuralist mythology, the reconstruction of mythological symbolism, and an Eliadean eternal return. The process of speculation in digital mythography is not fully unfolded until engaging with the speculative design of building science-fictional worlds. This is how myths are entangled with futures. Playing Wukong as a hero is nothing exceptional, however, playing as Wukong in alternative histories and futures, as othered and marginalised, is fascinating. Why are we drawn to playing Wukong even when doomed to failure, death, and exile?

This paper posits speculative-mythological worldbuilding via Wukong in the science fictional framework, which is foreshadowed by Chen Leng’s Late Qing futuristic science fiction Neo-Journey to the West (1909) and Ken Liu’s speculative fiction The Litigation Master and the Monkey King (2013). It analyses how this speculative-mythological landscape is performed in three single-player action-adventure games: two indie games explore Wukong fighting robots and machinery in Sun Wukong VS Robot (Bitca, 2019) and a cyborg Wukong battling in a futurist, post-apocalyptic world to retrieve power and order in The Crown of Wu (Red Mountain, 2023); alongside an alternative creation of mythical history in Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science, 2024). It argues that the juxtaposition of historicism and futurism addresses multilayered self-exploration and perplexed self-interpretation as a form of resilience to endure existential crisis under oppression, marginalisation, and bewilderment in a shifting techno-society. While historicism preserves cultural memory and trauma, futurism propels myths into adaptive transformation. Speculative Wukongs thus become a site of temporal friction for both archiving and redeeming.

The Monkey King does not manifest to the mundane life but is role-played by a low-class litigator, who seeks justice for the poor, the grassroots, and the miserable against evil and abused governors and the wealthy. The Wukong in this speculative historical world has been resolved and incarnated into the human body of an anti-hero of ordinary people. Every person can play a grand role in protectiveness and righteousness to others, the past, and the future. This alternate history stages a reflective “what-if”, when someone heroically preserves the historical records for humanity and a common future. This othered litigator, Wukong player and martyr, illuminates the grave sacrifices and magnificent significance of remembering the past. Historicism in speculative and science fiction is “to make us aware of the problems we have in imagining it” (Aguirre, 2011). Particularly, when speculation is conducted via a mythical figure, it appeals to collective unconsciousness in a persuasive approach. Beyond offering resolutions, mythological speculation invites transformative play to imagining scenarios of layered and hybrid identities across clashing (trans)cultures, and to experiencing crises of modernity and posthumanism.

When the late Qing Chinese science fiction arranges the mystic meeting of Wukong and electricity——astonishingly unbelievable to the past, it expresses the excitement, bewilderment, and even fear towards the near future. In the history of modern Chinese literature, Wukong’s encounter with modernity could be interpreted as disenchantment, as he loses his magic power, mythical identity and socio-historical recognition in the enlightenment of technology and modernism. Through the lens of science-fictional speculation, however, this moment precisely demonstrates the reenchantment of the bewildered present haunted by both a mythical past and an unavoidable future, simultaneously. To adopt science fiction as a method and heterotopian alternatives for invisible voices (Song, 2023), speculation provides an analogous framework to review historicism, futurism, and othered selves in video games.

Players encounter the myth, the past, the future, and the present in video game worlds.

Wukong awakens in a mechanical maze, and the only escape is to destroy robots. In retro pixel Metroidvania style, Wukong confronts robots in a futuristic myth interwoven with the Greek mythical semiotic of Maze, where Theseus faces the monstrous Minotaur. Freedom is achieved through overcoming monstrousness. Metaphorically, in side-scrolling mechanics, players are liberated from the machine’s otherisation. In Crown, an action-adventure with puzzle-solving inspired by Dark Souls, the future-past cyborg Wukong is wronged, misunderstood, and othered. Players redeem Wu's honour and identity during gameplay. Two indie games are not rich in narrative, but the mechanics and gameplay——jumping, moving, and fighting as Wukong to retrieve freedom, justice, and identity——are eloquent.

Whether playing the self or the alienated others, players experience the resilient self. Black Myth is not specifically set in a futuristic environment, yet it constitutes an alternate mytho-history. Players are bestowed as the Destined One of the incarnated Wukong to recover the self in resistance of good and evil, fate and struggling. In this sense, the “black” in this soul-like, story-rich Black Myth implies gothicism in myth-retelling, the speculative realm to review the resilient self.

How digital gaming achieves ludic subjectivity (2020), transformative play (Tanenbaum & Tanenbaum, 2015), a cyborgian and posthuman integration (Keogh, 2018) has been discussed. Yet how mythical narrative facilitates players’ self-perception and lived experience connecting to collective memories in speculative landscapes remains underdeveloped. This paper questions how in-game worldbuilding, through strange and tensioned encounters of mythical and futuristic time-spaces, generates non-binary identifications but perplexed, layered, and bewildered experiences of selfhood. As the mythical and posthumanist Wukong, the neglected and oppressed are speculatively imagined in the struggling of existential crisis. Playing may not necessarily be an Odyssean self-exploration, but rather a perception and solicitude for the fragmented, multilayered, and plural self. Thus, playing in speculative worlds as Wukong becomes an affective declaration of resistance and resilience.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines the gaming experience generated by the title Dark Souls. By analyzing the procedural rhetoric of the game we can delineate the implied player that was designed of the authors. The implied player is then related to some passages of classical philosophy, highlighting the points of contact between the elements of the game and some principles of Stoic philosophy. I argue that the processes, rules, and mechanics of the game create a peculiar playful experience capable of resonating with the vision of Stoic ethics. General principles such as a constructive attitude toward adversity and failure and the management of negative emotions are structured through the rules and dynamics of the game. Progression in Dark Souls requires the enactment of meaningful play actions: the actual player who enacts the behaviors encoded by the game through the figure the implied player performs game actions that find a correspondence in the philosophical elaborations of Stoic ethics. The analysis conducted indicates that both the precepts of Stoic ethics and the procedural rhetoric of Dark Souls have strong transformative capabilities. Finally, in the bibliography appendix, I collect significant testimonies from players who speak of their transformative relationship with Dark Souls.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines how moral ambiguity (Wylie & Gantman, 2022) is expressed in Playdead’s games, Limbo and Inside. Both games are characterized by narrative voids, silent storytelling, constrained agency and subtle gameplay mechanics. If what is left unsaid often speaks louder than what is explicitly stated (Chatman, 1978), these games surely speak through silence and, by not giving any explicit explanation or understanding of the broader context, both Limbo and Inside use uncertainty to compel the player to make interpretative and uninformed ethically significant choices. This study contributes to a growing body of research on how games can evoke complex emotional and ethical experiences (Pohl, 2008; Sicart, 2009) leveraging on storytelling, mechanics and design to demonstrate the potential of video games in challenging players’ moral assumptions and pushing them towards critical reflection on agency, control, and complicity (Jameson, 2005).

ABSTRACT. This paper argues that the "Soulslike" genre stages themes and concepts typical of East Asian thinking to pursue a distinctly posthumanist imagination of human-nonhuman relations.

ABSTRACT. This study explores the integration of generative AI into game development, focusing on its use during a university-led game jam involving undergraduate students. The research investigates why generative AI matters for the future of game creation -highlighting its potential to transform asset production, team dynamics, and creative workflows. It examines how AI-driven tools such as ChatGPT and DALL-E impacted the development process, enabling hybrid roles and streamlining repetitive tasks. However, limitations emerged, including asset reliability, quality, and creative customisation challenges. Finding what this means for the broader industry while emphasising the importance of refining AI tools to balance efficiency with artistic integrity. A significant number of participants (46%) reported notable learning gains, reflecting improved technical skills and a deeper understanding of AI's role in creative processes. These results highlight the need for policies addressing intellectual property, ethical use of data, and inclusive development. This research offers insights for advancing AI-human collaboration models to support sustainable, innovative, and culturally diverse game production.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract outlines lessons learned in leading social impact aimed game jams across communities, in Japan, India, and Malaysia. Instead of providing best practices for such events, this writing examines patterns demonstrated in how participants deconstruct societal problems and design experiences that reflect on them. The primary takeaway is the intense constraints of game jams encourage jammers to deconstruct the social impact challenges on which they have focused their games in unique ways. These deconstructions can be understood as a translation, seeking to convert participant interpretation of problem causes and their solutions. The authors posit that the most important outcomes for game jams are not necessarily the games produced, nor the practice earned in making games, but the learning that occurs through assessing a problem, translating into a playable experience and aiming to represent its essential elements as identified by the participants.

ABSTRACT. Despite the growing number of female gamers, their participation in game jams remains disproportionately low. This research seeks to understand and address some of the underlying barriers that may prevent women from fully engaging in these events, often dominated by male participants and shaped by a masculine culture. Building on a 2020 study conducted in Brazil, this research replicates parts of the survey at the 2023 University of Malta Game Jam while also incorporating additional questions, particularly in the qualitative section, to further explore participants' motivations, experiences, and perceptions of game jams. The study involves quantitative and qualitative analyses emphasising the gender challenges female participants face. The study found that 62% of participants were attending their first Game Jam and the primary motivators for both genders were learning (85%) and taking on a personal challenge (82%). A clear gender disparity was noted in role distribution during game development, with female participants primarily assuming creative, design-focused positions and male participants predominantly leading in the technical programming roles. In line with Ferraz & Gama (2019), participants perceived a stronger sense of gender equality during Game Jams than when working in ICT or Gaming companies. Despite this, 55% of the participants, the majority of whom were women, had witnessed or heard of situations where women felt uncomfortable during the event, with many citing hostile environments and technical insecurities as significant deterrents. On the positive side, 85% of all participants perceived the event as a valuable learning experience and 65% enjoyed the competition. However, only 30% of women saw it as a place to foster friendships, compared to 76% of men. Female and Male respondents had similar and diverging suggestions on how to make game jams more inclusive. These were linked to four key areas: Tackling Discrimination and Inclusivity, Team Dynamics and Support, Improving the Facilities and Environment, and enhancing the Recognition and Value of all regardless of gender. These results highlight the need for targeted initiatives to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment within game jams. However, this may be challenging due to the differing experiences of women and men.

ABSTRACT. According to Statista’s website (Bianchi, 2024), Mexico has the second largest gaming audience, and the largest eSports consumer in Latin America’s region. Nevertheless, it has been noted that Mexican culture is widely misrepresented in video games, reinforcing negative stereotypes, influencing the way people fear, distrust or understand Mexicans (Palomares, 2023). That’s why this paper proposes the development of a video game based on the comic book “Los rudos, los rudos, los rudos” about iconic mexican wrestling “Lucha libre” with an emphasis on the culture that it has developed on its own, and the drama that fighters face in their everyday lives. This would be an interesting crossroad between media and culture since video games have proved to be an efficient vehicle of cultural diffusion, making narratives and values learning processes more accessible and engaging (Cerezo-Pizarro, et al. 2023).

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract explores manifestations of playfulness in contemporary comics culture, proposing a conceptualization of playfulness as a primarily "appropriative" or "disruptive" attitude and distinguishing between producer-oriented playfulness, work-oriented playfulness, and recipient-oriented playfulness.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract focuses on afforded playfulness in Daniel Benmergui's puzzle videogame Storyteller. Against the background of Storyteller’s unconventional combination of videogame and comics features, the abstract highlights two aspects of Storyteller’s design that seem likely to inspire playful experimentation on the player’s part: multiple solution pathways and instant reactivity.

ABSTRACT. Death-themed games address permanent death as experienced in real life, connecting players through digital grief stories and inspiring reflections on death. In this study, we examine eight death-themed games and deconstruct them into four sets of design questions using the Design Space Analysis method. These questions, along with their associated design options and criteria, provide a breakdown of how different types of digital grief experiences can be shaped through game design. We conduct the analysis from the perspective of a death-themed game designer and researcher, offering insights into the design rationale behind these games. Our findings are summarized in a Design Space Map, which provides guidance for analyzing existing death-themed games and designing new ones. For example, a designer may choose the level of intimacy in the portrayed grief relationship to elicit a player experience focused either on emotional resonance or reflection.

ABSTRACT. This extend abstract is for a presentation/paper that explores the evolving practice of memorialisation within digital games, through discussion of Valve’s tributes to Rick May, the voice of Team Fortress 2's "Soldier", and other cases. It examines the blending and juxtaposition of traditional memorial forms with game motifs, arguing that these "designed assemblages" are innovative and inventive cultural practices reshaping contemporary memorialisation.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines grammarised death mechanics and the moves of digital corpses in Happy Wheels (Fancy Force 2010) to point out how death is organised around a necropolitical mode of perception. It asserts that this grammarisation of death amplifies the real-life precarity of the deceased between subjecthood and objecthood by analysing how death is made into a spectacle with voyeuristic tendencies which verge on pornographic. By relating this to Giorgio Agamben’s and Achille Mbembe’s scholarship on bare life and the living dead, I ultimately propose that Happy Wheels, and other games in which game bodies are designed for destruction, entangle with real-life instances of denigration and subjugation of human lives.

ABSTRACT. Digital games are political, just as the person who plays them is political. Even if they do not directly convey political content, they are connected to the discourse surrounding them. This also applies to action games, which in the 1980s provided casual entertainment while essentially promoting unfettered neoliberalism. Since the protagonists of these games were mostly Americans—fighting terrorists, aliens, or more veiled threats—one could say they directly implemented the political agenda of the then President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. However, it is intriguing that many popular action games from the 1980s were created by Japanese developers.

This paper is dedicated to the phenomenon of Japanese games imitating American B-class action movies. I refer to this phenomenon as “Reaganoludography,” in analogy to a similar film trend shaped by Michał Kobylarz (2008) and popularized in Polish film studies by Rafał Syska (2019) as “Reaganomatography.” Although the English-speaking film studies use rather the term of “Reaganite Cinema” (Needham, 2016), “Reaganomatography”—and likewise, “Reaganoludography”—better reflects the mechanical nature of the 1980s American entertainment industry, which, during Reagan's administration, was oriented towards spreading conservative ideological content and establishing a clear boundary between imagined good and evil.

To accurately capture the phenomenon of “Reaganoludography,” I applied a combination of textual and discourse analysis (Fernández-Vara, 2015; Voorhees, 2012). I did not focus on the mechanics of the games studied, but rather on examining their visual and textual elements, analyzing them in the context of the specifications of the export country, which the United States were primarily. I also considered their convergence with works of Reaganomatography from the 1980s, without which it would be difficult to explain the great success of Japanese ludography on the other side of the Pacific.

In the paper, I would like to emphasize that the Japanese Reaganoludography thrived on constant references to American action films and culture. Shigeru Miyamoto’s Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1984) features the Italian-American character living in New York; Satoru Okada’s Metroid (Nintendo, 1986) premiered coincidentally in the same year as the blockbuster film Aliens (Cameron, 1986), sharing the same spectacular action; Miyamoto’s The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo, 1985) shares heavy similarities with Ridley Scott’s fantasy film The Legend (1985). Perhaps most important is the influence of American John Rambo propaganda movies on Contra (Konami, 1987) and Operation Wolf (Taito, 1988), with one-man army paving their way through hundreds of dead bodies during the jungle warfare missions; Contra sparked protests among the Central American students due to the apotheosis of the right-wing partisan group Contras fighting in Nicaragua at the time (Sanchez, 1987).

The right-wing Reaganite agenda in Japanese games relied not only on the propaganda of American soldiers’ achievements and references to popular culture, but also on the self-censorship. Nintendo’s American division removed the potentially most subversive cultural references from some Japanese games. In the U.S. release of Castlevania (Konami, 1986), all crosses and references to Christianity were purged (Sanchez, 1987). Meanwhile, the U.S. version of Bionic Commando (Capcom, 1988) contained no Nazis (as well as Adolf Hitler’s clone), who were the true enemies in the Japanese release (Kalata, 2017a). In turn, Double Dragon (Technōs Japan, 1987), the international spin-off of the brawler series Kunio-kun, featured mainly African Americans as the enemies; their organization Black Warriors was the clear racist allusion to the Black Panthers actual organization, fiercely fought by Reagan (then the governor of California) in the 1960s (Leonardatos, 1999, 972–980).

The paper demonstrates that American Reaganomatography deeply affected the shape and themes of Japanese games from the 1980s. Drawing inspiration from a plethora of American action films, Japanese developers found their means necessary to thrive and expand in the global digital game industry. Appealing to the conservative currents in the American politics, Japanese manufacturers achieved great commercial successes and dominated the imagination of Western players. Still, we must remember that Japanese Reaganoludography was paired with a political agenda that resonates with the recent rise of the New Right, not only in the United States but also in Europe. Every childhood joy, even Super Mario Bros., is inherently political.

REFERENCES

Cameron, James, dir. 1986. Aliens. DVD. 20th Century Fox. Capcom. 1988. Bionic Commando. Nintendo Entertainment System. Japan: Capcom. Fernández-Vara, Clara. 2015. Introduction to Game Analysis. New York: Routledge. Kalata, Kurt. 2017. “Bionic Commando (NES).” Hardcore Gaming 101 (blog). October 3, 2017. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bionic-commando-nes/. Kobylarz, Łukasz. 2008. “„Rambo! Your Country Needs You!”, czyli kino w służbie państwa.” Panoptikum 7(14):296–302. Konami. 1986. Castlevania. Nintendo Entertainment System. Japan: Konami. Konami. 1987. Contra. Nintendo Entertainment System. Japan: Konami. Leonardatos, Cynthia Deitle. 1999. “California’s Attempts to Disarm the Black Panthers.” San Diego L. Rev. 36:947–96. Needham, Gary. 2016. “Reaganite Cinema: What a Feeling!” In The Routledge Companion to Cinema and Politics, edited by Yannis Tzioumakis and Claire Molloy, 334–44. New York – London: Routledge. Nintendo. 1984. Super Mario Bros. Nintendo Entertainment System. Japan: Nintendo. Nintendo. 1986. Metroid. Nintendo Entertainment System. Japan: Nintendo. Sanchez, Rene. 1987. “Zap! Blam! Aargh! It’s Video Contra!” The Washington Post, July 20, 1987. Scott, Ridley, dir. 1985. Legend. DVD. 20th Century Fox. Syska, Rafał. 2019. “Reaganomatografia. Kino amerykańskie lat osiemdziesiątych.” In Kino końca wieku, edited by Tadeusz Lubelski, Iwona Sowińska, and Rafał Syska, 81–160. Kraków: Universitas. Taito. 1988. Operation Wolf. Arcade. Japan: Taito. Technōs Japan. 1987. Double Dragon. Arcade. Kunio-Kun. Japan: Taito. Voorhees, Gerald. 2012. “Discursive Games and Gamic Discourses.” Communication +1 1 (1). https://doi.org/10.7275/R5G15XSM.

ABSTRACT. The presentation focuses on differences in portrayal of communist states (Eastern Bloc states specifically) in American and European Cold War-themed real time strategy games, namely those of Command & COnquer: Red Alert series, World in Conflict, and Wargame. Those are analyzed utilizing modified methodology proposed by Elliott and Kapell for historical games, according to which the narrative, players' goals and available set of units are analyzed separately; as well as postcolonial theory. In each case, significant differences in terms of poetics and realism can be observed (narrative, characters, players goals, arsenals), the origins of which - as will be argued - can be linked to different historical perspective and cultural memory of both regions of the Free World at the time (i.e. the US and Western Europe), possibly resulting in different poetics found preferable by the industry on each side of the Atlantic, as better reflecting popularity of certain subgenres among local gamer communities.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores the relationship between video games and neocolonialism narratives, focusing on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) as a case study. The Iraq War, initiated by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, serves as a backdrop for examining how media, particularly video games, contribute to the legitimization of neocolonial interventions in the Middle East. While traditional media often rationalizes such interventions, we argue that video games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare play a significant role in perpetuating militarism and violence, framing the U.S. as a global peacekeeper while depicting the Middle East as chaotic and threatening. Using Oliver Perez Latorre’s (2015) methodology based on rhetorical analysis of game, we analyze the ludic design of character/player, game world, and game play activities, tracing how these elements construct the “other” in Middle Eastern factions and reinforce the binary of “us” versus “them.” The game's depiction of Western protagonists as heroic defenders of global stability reinforces colonial ideologies and justifies military interventions. The game's narrative simplifies complex geopolitical conflicts into a clear dichotomy, positioning the West as morally superior and justified in its interventions. This paper argues that video games, while providing immersive and engaging game play experiences, also can serve as vehicles for reproducing colonial power dynamics and contributing to the ongoing legitimization of military interventionism in neocolonial contexts. By analyzing these representations, we demonstrate the significant role that video games play in shaping contemporary geopolitical ideologies and how they continue to reflect and perpetuate colonial ideologies.

ABSTRACT. An unlikely intersection of Appalachian studies and game studies may prove beneficial to both interdisciplines. Following the concept of regional game studies, an Appalachian game studies continues the tradition of evaluating media for its representation of the region and associated power dynamics, as well as furthering newer drives toward reclamation. It also introduces insights from an overlooked rural culture.

ABSTRACT. This paper investigates the evolution and potential revival of Swiss pinball culture as part of the CH Ludens research project, which researches Swiss video game (design) history between the late 1960ies to 2000. Once thriving in Zurich’s up to 68 arcades, pinball disappeared from public life following the 1995 slot machine ban. Today, pinball survives in small private clubs, where collectors and hobbyists sustain a community-oriented play culture. A renewed academic and public interest is evident in three 2024 publications of Swiss and German authors: Ivo Vasella’s historical account of Zurich’s arcades treats pinball as Zeitzeugnisse—witnesses of cultural change; Herb Bieri’s Shoot Again celebrates the international pinball scene through visual storytelling and design appreciation; and Andreas Bernard offers a personal reflection on pinball’s emotional and sensory qualities, when reflecting on growing up in a German city. These works invite reflection on whether current enthusiasm signals a cultural revival or a deepening niche. Combining historical analysis and ongoing fieldwork, the paper positions pinball as a culturally significant, evolving form of play.

ABSTRACT. India and Pakistan share a deeply complex and tumultuous history stemming from their partition in 1947. This division was driven by religious and political differences and resulted in one of the largest migrations in human history, marked by widespread violence, displacement, and loss of life, leaving lasting scars on both nations. Since then, the relationship has been defined by wars (1947-1948, 1965, 1971, and 1999), territorial disputes, and frequent skirmishes and ceasefire violations, further solidifying the animosity between the two countries. These geopolitical tensions manifest not only in real-world interactions but also in digital spaces like social media and discussion forums where negative interactions further perpetuate animosity and reinforce stereotypes (Javaid & Sahrai, 2020; Nawaz et al., 2022). However, the nature of online interactions between Indian and Pakistani players in multiplayer video games remains largely unexplored. This is surprising given that players from from the two countries often connect to the same servers on these games due to their geographical proximity and similar ping rates. This exploratory study aimed to examine how geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan manifested in cross-border social interactions within multiplayer games. Specifically, games with competitive and PvP elements were chosen given that they are widely popular among players from India and Pakistan and feature competitive structures where success depends on collaboration and communication. Examples include Rust (Facepunch Studios, 2018), Valorant (Riot Games, 2020), Counter Strike 2 (Valve, 2012), and PUBG: Battlegrounds (Krafton, Inc., 2017). Purposive and snowballing sampling were used to recruit participants. Advertisements for the study were circulated on social media platforms. Additionally, the primary researcher joined both Pakistani and Indian game servers to engage with players, explain the study, and invite them to participate in semi-structured interviews. Eleven Indian and twelve Pakistani players (all male, age range 18-32 years, Mage = 21.5 years) agreed to participate and answered questions around themes of in-game interactions, nature of interactions, role of communication and game dynamics, and their expectations from future interactions. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Results showed the following broad themes: patriotism and stereotypes; game variables that affected degree of toxic interaction; player variables that affected degree of toxic interaction; external influences on in-game interaction (social media interaction, biased news coverage, and politics and propaganda); reaction to toxicity (managing and retaliation); interplay of multiple identities; and video-games as means to further cross-cultural understanding. Pakistani and Indian players often recognized each other’s nationality through subtle cues such as accent differences, word choice, ping disparities, and Steam profile details. Game-related variables such as whether the team was in a state of winning or losing, stakes of the match (rank-up or rank-down matches), and matchmaking dynamics (nationalities of players in a team) together with player-related factors (age, maturity, and cultural or social learning) strongly influenced the degree to which interactions would turn hostile. High-stakes games, especially when the team was losing, and younger players were more likely to result in targeted toxic interactions. Teams with a majority of players from one nation and a minority from another also created an environment conducive to in-game bullying. According to most participants, abusive and toxic behaviours were common and expected in competitive games. In these displays of in-game toxicity, targeting national and religious identities became the easiest and most effective strategy, as it had the greatest emotional impact on the other player. Most players from both countries believed that certain topics acted as catalysts for conflict, including conversations on politics, religion, and nation. More importantly, players knew that not all players from the other nation were toxic and abusive and that players of all types existed on both sides. Additionally, some players recognized how vicious cycles of passing on toxicity worked, wherein a previous negative interaction with a player of the other nation could lead to initiation of future hostility, even when players from the other nation were now interacting without animosity. Participants also highlighted how social interactions in the gaming context did not exist in isolation and were influenced by a myriad of factors such as media, social media, and politics. The interplay of identities such as religion, region, and language further complicated these interactions. For instance, Pakistani players who were Muslim and from the Punjab region often shared a positive rapport with Punjabi players from India due to their shared linguistic and cultural background. In contrast, interactions between these players and other Indian gamers tended to be far more negative. Players from other nations, such as Arabs, also influenced the dynamics. They tended to show toxicity toward both Pakistani and Indian players, frequently grouping them together under the label of "Indian". Participants’ views on the role played by video games as catalysts of positive change in Indo-Pak relations were mixed. Despite challenges, some players were optimistic that long-term interaction or continuous gameplay could help dissolve initial hostility and build rapport; communication through these games provided an alternate medium of contact between people from the two nations, reduced reliance on biased media narratives, and helped in re-evaluation of pre-conceived notions and stereotypes. Notably, the study included only male participants and focused exclusively on competitive multiplayer games. At the same time, its findings highlight the dual potential of multiplayer games as both sites of conflict and avenues for fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Results emphasise the need for game developers to consider socio-political factors in games’ matchmaking systems and community management to foster healthier in-game interactions across diverse player groups.

ABSTRACT. The presentation of this extended abstract will cover an exploratory study that is inspired by our initial call for a psychological exploration of save-scumming behaviours (Farmer & Kelly, 2024), which is a currently under-researched phenomenon in media psychology research at present. Save-scumming behaviours present a unique and novel case study of media-specific engagement across gaming genres and cultural experiences of video gaming. The study discussed in this presentation aims to provide insights into why players are motivated to engage in save-scumming using the principles of self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) and will explore preliminary themes generated from UK and US data.

ABSTRACT. This paper argues the benefits of the concept of metaplay as a theoretical framework for analyzing contemporary digital game play cultures and play practices. Given the complexity of networks of play and communication, I frame metaplay to be supported by three components: metagame, paratexts, and capital, which work together to paint a broader picture of play. This paper draws on recent completed doctoral research of local Canadian adult Pokemon players, ranging from dates of play from 1998 to 2020. With developments in technological (information communication technologies, gaming hardware, and the Internet) and consistent new releases of Pokemon games, I argue metaplay illuminates the connections between communication, content creation, development of play practices, and play cultures in contemporary digital game play.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract explores transgressive play in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, investigating how players creatively subvert the boundaries of gameplay. Employing a mixed-method approach combining online observation and content analysis, the study examines around three hundred game streams across multiple platforms, including Bilibili, Weibo, Twitter, and Reddit. The findings reveal a spectrum of transgressive play streams—ranging from creative play, to metagaming without cheating, and outright cheating. This research has two primary objectives: first, to reflect on prevailing conceptions of rules and transgressive play through the analysis and articulation of this spectrum. Second, to demonstrate that the novel pleasure unique to stream spectatorship emerges from the interplay of three key elements: gameplay content that showcases rule violations and creative exploration of ludic possibilities; streamers’ performative engagement, and the affordances of streaming platforms. By delving into the streams, the study offers insights into the evolving nature of player interaction, spectator engagement, and the broader landscape of gaming culture.

ABSTRACT. “Takeover: who’s doing the art of tomorrow” was the theme of 2001’s Ars Electronica Europe’s largest festival for electronic art. In their curatorial statement directors Gerfried Stoker and Christine Schöpf explain that the “the art of tomorrow will be done by the engineers of experience in their workshops of world -invention and world-creation”. (Stocker and Schöpf 2001). Declaring that the new territories of the avant-garde are to be found in the technological transformations being rent by the internet and videogames. Withdrawal to noble minded posturing about fine art will not the warn prevent this media takeover stating; “The inertia of traditional art institutions and the increasing privatization of the funding of art are reinforcing the trend among a young generation of artists to establish their own platforms, collaborative undertakings and business models, whereby the ongoing brain drain into the media and advertising industries threatens to soon leave the art world behind as a ghost town”(2001). This paper examines the work of Selectparks a collective of Australian Artists whose work embraced the potential of videogames at the beginning of the century. Central to their activities was the creation of selectparks.net a website that formed a hub for artistic experimentation with videogames. Selectparks.net was established in 1998 by Julian Oliver artist and critical engineer who in 1999 invited artist curator Rebecca Cannon to help develop the site as a resource dedicated to artists exploring videogames as an emerging art medium. Oliver’s fascination for software as a medium and advocacy for open-source software underpinned the sites principles of sharing of tools and resources. Cannon grew the site as an art game and archiving project. Online, the traditional art world gatekeeping could be circumnavigated and new areas for creative practice could be explored. More agile, more niche-focused in their fields of endeavour and able to draw on the combined knowledge of globally diverse communities, the rise of critically vibrant online sites challenged existing institutional authority and blurred institutional boundaries (Lichty 2002; Paul 2007; Schleiner 2003). Selectparks.net featured news, exhibitions, artworks, tools and theory relating to the practice of artistic computer game modification and development. It existed as a virtual online organization created by artists interested in games and game technologies to support a new area of creative practice before there was any sustained institutional interest in this work. It featured an exciting mix of work produced by artists, gamers and industry and like many of these early online groups it did not lack sophistication: Whitney Museum curator of digital art Christiane Paul conceding in this era: “It is not unusual that the websites of non-profit organisations are better designed, more comprehensive and technologically more sophisticated than a museum’s site”(Paul 2006). This historical research is focused on a period of design and experimentation before the availability of engines such as Unity and rise of digital distribution transformed levels of access to gamemaking and sharing. These changes not only fostered a further blurring of the fields of artistic gamemaking and art making but shifted the culture further beyond the conventions and institutions of the art world. Drawing on interviews with creators and curators Julian Oliver and Rebecca Cannon accompanied by an examination of the website - the scene and artwork it profiled - this paper examines the historical significance of Selectparks.net (1998-2008). It explores a historical moment when games and art found themselves meeting at a crossroads offering it as a prehistory to the contemporary artistic gamemaking. This work in progress forms part of a larger research project into artistic practice in Australian gamemaking. This larger research agenda investigates the cultural and economic importance of ‘artist-gamemaking’. Recognising that that role of artistic practice, experimentation, and community collaboration have remained relatively unexplored in game development research to date, due to its limited and economically reductive approaches to understanding the videogame industry. Selectparks.net is an important historical document of experimentation from the 2000s by a community of artists, hobbyist gamemakers and industry insiders. It reveals how this community was having dynamic conversations of the artistic potential of videogames in counterpoint to the increasing formalisation of the global games industry

ABSTRACT. As digital games become increasingly popular and pervasive, it is becoming more common to see concepts, aesthetics and terms which originated within gaming communities spreading to other domains of culture and politics. One example of this phenomenon is the way in which the acronym NPC (non-player character) has entered the popular vernacular. But it is not just within popular culture that the figure of the NPC is assuming new meanings and functions. This paper explores how artists are using it to address questions of agency, identity and subjectivity. It offers a close textual analysis of two video works: Larry Achiampong and David Blandy’s 2023 video _GOD MODE_ and Total Refusal’s 2022 video ‘Hardly Working’

ABSTRACT. In aesthetic and philosophical studies that discuss games as art, they have been seen as a special form of art that incorporates game elements, and positioned as something that expands on traditional concepts of art. On the other hand, the art bit exhibitions, which introduces contemporary art and indie games in Kyoto, has, through its four previous installments, fundamentally questioned the “artistry of games” and the “gamehood of contemporary art” as historical twins. At the root of this is the perspective that “contemporary art” and “contemporary games” were born in the same era and have developed in parallel throughout the 20th century. With this awareness of the issues, I would like to critically examine how the works and exhibition concepts of the previous art bit exhibitions shed light on the history of contemporary art, and clarify the aesthetic significance and philosophical implications behind this practice.

ABSTRACT. Traditional frameworks for analyzing mental illness in media frequently rely on fixed representations that treat complex conditions as metaphorical devices, narrative problems to be solved, or stable markers of difference. When applied uncritically to video games, these paradigms risk flattening the medium’s distinctive procedural and interactive capacities. Instead of recognizing that games can model mental illness as a lived, relational, and evolving phenomenon, conventional approaches tend to frame it as a static trope—an obstacle to overcome or a puzzle to resolve before the story’s conclusion. Such readings neglect the unique affordances that video games offer, particularly their ability to engage players directly in dynamic experiences that resist easy categorization. This paper argues that Gilles Deleuze’s concepts of “becoming” and “assemblage” provide a more productive framework for depicting mental illness in video games. By drawing on a non-representational approach, we can move beyond the limitations of symbolic depictions and toward an appreciation of mental illness as an emergent, affective multiplicity that unfolds through the interplay of the videogame, player, and sensory design. Deleuze’s notion of becoming challenges static conceptions of identity and meaning by emphasizing continuous transformation and relationality. Rather than viewing entities as fixed and self-contained, becoming insists that they are always in flux, defined through processes of interaction and change (Deleuze & Guattari, 1987). His theory of assemblage complements this perspective by highlighting how complex arrangements of heterogeneous elements—human and nonhuman, material and affective—coalesce to produce meaning and affect (Cremin, 2015). Together, becoming and assemblage encourage a shift away from reductive binaries such as sane/insane or healthy/pathological. Instead of affirming stable categories that can be neatly represented, these concepts push us to consider mental illness as a procedural event shaped by multiple forces. In games, these forces include elements such as narrative, mechanics, audiovisual design, player input, and cultural contexts. Such a non-representational lens resonates with emerging insights in disability and mad studies, which question dominant cultural narratives that stigmatize and pathologize mental illness by treating it as a stable category ripe for metaphorical appropriation and narrative resolution. Historically, media representations of mental illness have leaned on binary constructions that separate so-called normality from aberration. Scholars like Mitchell and Snyder have illustrated how disability in traditional narratives often functions as a “narrative prosthesis”—a device mobilized to signify lack or deviance, only to be fixed or eliminated by a story’s end (Mitchell & Snyder, 2000). This pattern denies the complexity and fluidity of lived experience, presenting mental illness as a static problem rather than an ongoing relational condition. Deleuze’s critique of representational logic aligns with this challenge, exposing how binary thinking forecloses multiplicity. By acknowledging the complexity inherent in human difference, Deleuzian non-representational theory, when combined with insights gained from disability and mad studies, creates a conceptual space for more nuanced portrayals that neither romanticize nor demonize mental illness, but understand it as part of a broader ecology of human variation. Video games, with their interactive and procedural elements, could provide fertile ground for these more nuanced portrayals. Instead of simply showing mental illness as a fixed trait—often reduced to villainous madness or pitiable weakness—games have the capacity to simulate processes, model systems, and engage players in relational experiences that shift over time. Despite the potential of the medium, many titles default to the same reductive tropes found in other media. Complex conditions are frequently harnessed as cheap narrative devices or stable character traits that signal antagonism or victimhood, rarely treated as evolving, intimately felt, and context-dependent conditions that affect and are affected by their environment. The challenge, then, is to identify examples where the medium’s unique strengths are harnessed to model mental illness more dynamically, and to analyze how a Deleuzian framework can sharpen our understanding of these achievements. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory 2017) offers a compelling case study. Rather than relying solely on cinematic tropes to represent psychosis as a stable marker of difference, the game employs procedural and sensory strategies that immerse players in the lived dimensions of Senua’s condition. Mechanically, the use of binaural audio simulates auditory hallucinations that shift in response to player action and environmental context. Instead of providing a detached depiction of Senua’s mental state, this approach entangles the player in her experience. The player does not simply observe Senua’s psychosis from the outside but participates in a relational process that emerges through gameplay. Environmental storytelling reinforces this dynamic: visual and spatial elements within the game world mutate and align with Senua’s evolving perceptions, challenging the notion that mental illness is a fixed narrative device. Hellblade models psychosis as a becoming rather than a trait, mirroring Deleuze’s emphasis on processual transformation rather than static identity. Deleuze’s theory of assemblage further illuminates how Hellblade orchestrates this non-representational portrayal. The game’s meaning does not reside in one fixed element—a single plot point or symbolic image—but emerges through the interplay of multiple forces. Mechanics, narrative cues, audio design, visual elements, and player interaction form a shifting assemblage that resists a definitive reading of psychosis as a closed category. Instead, psychosis becomes an event that unfolds dynamically, continuously reconfigured by the player’s agency and the game’s procedural logic. This assemblage perspective reveals how games can produce affect and understanding outside the confines of stable representation, enabling a more faithful engagement with the fluidity and multiplicity of mental illness as experienced in lived reality. To be sure, Hellblade does not entirely escape traditional representational forms. The presence of certain cinematic sequences and symbolic markers occasionally reassert the familiar logic of representation, threatening to pin mental illness back into static meaning. Yet even these moments highlight the tension between non-representational potentials and the commercial, narrative-driven conventions of mainstream game production. Rather than dismissing such tensions, acknowledging them helps us understand the complexities of implementing a Deleuzian, process-oriented framework in practice. The game’s achievements nonetheless mark a significant step forward by demonstrating how interactive media can move beyond simplistic portrayals and toward a richer engagement with difference. By situating Hellblade within a Deleuzian framework, this paper aims to contribute to interdisciplinary dialogues in game studies, disability studies, and mad studies. Deleuze’s philosophy enables us to articulate why static representations are insufficient for capturing the relational, ongoing nature of mental illness and how video games might better express these complexities through their procedural form. Ultimately, this approach does more than critique existing stereotypes: it points to a reimagining of cultural narratives that validates the fluidity of embodied experience and resists binary logics. In an era in which interactive media occupy a central place in cultural production, embracing Deleuzian ideas can encourage designers, scholars, and players to see mental illness as neither a metaphor to be resolved nor a token of otherness, but as a constellation of processes unfolding in a dynamic, relational field. By doing so, we open the door to more inclusive, ethically responsive representations that better reflect the lived experiences of individuals navigating mental illness—not as a fixed identity, but as an evolving event always in the process of becoming.

ABSTRACT. In this extended abstract, we argue that the ludic representations of suicide livestreams in the Japanese story-based videogame NEEDY STREAMER OVERLOAD encode various social and cultural understandings of suicide, mental illness, livestreams, and online cultures. We aim to uncover these understandings through close readings analysing the gameplay leading up to two endings depicting suicide livestreams in the game. By contextualising the game within mental health in Japan, we argue that the game frames mental illness as an issue that can be numerically managed, and that the issue is the result of personal shortcomings, rather than societal problems.

ABSTRACT. Video games have been explored extensively as a means for supporting individuals’ mental and physical health. However, many of these game-based interventions (GBIs) rely heavily on novel mechanics, modalities, and gamification. For mental health interventions, where meaningful internalization of the game messaging is crucial, a focus on gamification may not be conducive to the necessary cognitive processing An underexplored mechanism in GBIs is narrative as a means of engagement. Narrative facilitates processing of persuasive messaging; however, the potential effects of narrative GBIs for mental health have not been extensively investigated. To this end, we conducted systematic review of narrative GBIs for mental health, and preliminarily outline improvements that could be made to theoretical groundings and measurements used.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates how specific game mechanics in digital play influence prosocial behavior in children, focusing on resource sharing under varying levels of perceived risk. Using a custom-designed video game, The Ludum Detector, researchers controlled game mechanics to measure how children weigh costs and benefits in decision-making. Forty-six 8-year-olds (23 boys, 23 girls) participated as part of a larger project, encountering donation prompts after completing levels with high, medium, or low perceived risk. Preliminary findings reveal that children shared fewer resources in higher-risk conditions, even when not in a competitive or cooperative context, with significant differences between high- and low-risk and medium- and low-risk scenarios. No differences in behavior were observed between sexes. These results suggest that perceived personal risk strongly influences prosocial decisions, providing insights for designing digital games and educational tools that foster cooperation, empathy, and generosity in children.

ABSTRACT. In this EA, we present the results from semi-structured interviews with 18 parents and 22 children which explored parental attitudes towards game monetisation, and their approaches toward navigating their child’s in-game spending.

The findings reported in this study advance our understanding of the concerns and conflicts that are driving the global media panic about digital game monetisation.

ABSTRACT. In this paper we discuss the design of a digital games platform for cinema education and literacy. Through a mainly qualitative approach, we explore the students’ and teachers’ requirements, needs, and preferences collected through a survey and focus groups, and discuss the relevant educational design principles. The findings suggest the learning potential of the games platform from the perspective of the teachers, as well as the potential implementation challenges to be considered in the design. The children’s insights reveal game design goals such as freedom and autonomy, creative expression, social play and interaction, as well as their preferred themes and narratives. We hope that the findings could serve as a model for the design of educational games especially within the field of creative arts.

ABSTRACT. This extended abstract offers a conjunctural analysis of the Spike Video Game Awards (VGA/VGX) which ran from 2003-2013 as an experimental site where various institutional and creative actors vied for control of a perceived center of the field of cultural production occupied by games. I discuss the progressive homogenization of awards categories, cultural capital flow and what a game of the year looks like, in the context of the show itself as a ritual media event that structures a habitus of games criticism and consecration. This abstract covers work underway, as part of a larger project dealing with the first game awards show, Cybermania '94, and the current dominant videogame awards show, The Game Awards (2014-2024).

ABSTRACT. This study will investigate the role of video game journalism in the game industry's sexual misconduct crisis, where hundreds of people in the industry have shared experiences of sexual misconduct from within streamer communities to the biggest game publishers in the world. While both game studies and journalism studies examined games journalism for more than a decade, studies on game journalism in the context of the sexual misconduct crisis are just beginning. This study will conduct a rhetorical analysis of over 100 articles about the sexual misconduct crisis from 2019 to 2024 from both gaming-focused news outlets and mainstream news publications in the United States of America. It will examine journalists’ use of language to achieve the goal of reporting on the crisis in a way that both serves the interests of the game-buying public while maintaining their precarious relationship with the game industry. How journalists mediate information about sexual misconduct in the industry has important implications in how the public understands the crisis which could shape their support or rejection of game companies. Could the coverage help inspire change in the industry, or maintain the industry’s status quo? Once we understand the role of game journalists in the crisis, we can have a better idea of what journalists can do to help make the game industry a more just and equitable place.

ABSTRACT. This study examines the role of games in cultural dissemination through a comparative analysis of Black Myth: Wukong and Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, both based on Chinese cultural narratives. Using multilingual reviews from Steam in Chinese, Japanese, and English, the research employs co-occurrence network analysis to explore differences in player focus and cultural engagement. Findings reveal that Chinese and Japanese players show strong familiarity and recognition of the cultural backgrounds, with Black Myth: Wukong gaining more attention for its visual and action design, while Total War: THREE KINGDOMS highlights historical recreation. However, English-speaking players prioritize gameplay over cultural narratives, indicating limited cross-cultural impact.

ABSTRACT. This abstract presents potentials of using players’ own gameplay video in video-elicited interviews to facilitate phenomenological research into the experiential reality of players’ play practises. Drawing on the experiences of 13 video-elicited interviews, I discuss how video-elicitation can give researchers access to rich and detailed descriptions of playful experiences.

ABSTRACT. The persistence of negative, outdated categorizations of game players limit can inclusion within gaming communities by marginalizing underrepresented groups and reinforcing negative behaviors. While prior research has explored stereotype content for so-called “gamers”, an open question is whether an individual’s choice of gaming platform results in differential stereotypic perceptions. This study uses the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) to explore the differential impact of gaming platforms on stereotypic perceptions (warmth and competence) and emotional reactions (admiration, pity, envy, and contempt). A custom survey collected 180 responses via recruitment in social media and public university settings. The results found perceptions of warmth and competence differed by platform and, to a lesser extent, by gamer identification and gender identity. The results show traditional perceptions of platform differences persist, emotional reactions differ by platform, and the role of warmth and competence in predicting these reactions is a complex phenomenon.

ABSTRACT. The fighting game play known as “Daigo Parry”, occurred during a semifinal match of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike at the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) in 2004, and represents a turning point in fighting game design and the status of fighting game culture. Also known as “EVO moment #37”, the play has been described as the most iconic moment in competitive video gaming (Breslau, 2011) and in 2024, it continues to be the top result in internet engine searches on this topic. During this match, the Japanese player Umehara executed fifteen consecutive parries (a counter-hit that requires extreme timing and spatial accuracy) against American player Wong's "Super Art" move, while having only one pixel of health remaining. Umehara followed the parry sequence with a comparably difficult combination, which is often occluded in casual analyses but is essential to understanding extraordinary stakes of the play. From a game studies perspective, and a focus on competitive gaming in particular, our main hypothesis is that the instantiation of the Daigo Parry in 2004 was the culmination point in an incremental progression of game subversion by expertise. We argue that this instantiation is not monolithic, but rather, it encompasses multifractal assemblages (Mukherjee, 2015) understood as actions performed by the fighting game community; their assemblage with the game in terms of culture and design; their assemblage with all games; and the effects of those actions on audiences’ sense of belonging to fighting games culture in their role as spectators. This study in progress is under review for an edited collection on game difficulty. Our study unravels the collective ludoliteracy contingent to the instantiation of the Daigo Parry, explaining how players of Street Fighter II had subverted the game design by repurposing a programming glitch in the game, and how they instrumentalized the glitch as a fighting technology thereafter known as “cancel”. We explain how players’ ability to deploy “cancel” and “parry”, in combinations that were unforeseen by game designers, catalyzed a fundamental transformation of fighting games and even other genres of games. The Daigo Parry crystalizes a paradigm shift in gameplay and design; it raised to an unplanned degree the embodied ludoliteracy required for play, and marked a before-and-after in how difficulty is gauged and programmed in fighting games and even in other game genres.

The current state of our research integrates critical perspectives and methodological approaches from cultural studies, comparative visual studies, and game design. It involves a historiographic-cultural contextualization of EVO 2004 based on media coverage and documentary materials in digital and analog form, facilitated by the organization and the community in web repositories. It does a visual-ludic close reading of the play, applying a theoretical framework derived from scientific studies in the aforementioned fields. It builds a preliminary taxonomy of difficulty from this analysis, and studies the impact of the Daigo Parry in game design and communities by tracking games that incorporate comparable mechanics subsequently, and by a mixed netnography of web archives and testimonies of developers and player-audiences. Thus this study covers from the technical to the cultural to demonstrate that the Daigo Parry is a fundamental part of the history of gaming difficulty, and was forged by a combination of factors (i.e., the state of game development in the early 2000s, the rise of the internet, and the globalization of gaming culture, among others.) that are likely to never happen nor coalesce in the same way again.

boyd, danah. (2010) Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implications. A Networked Self. Routledge. Breslau. (2011). The 10 best moments in pro-gaming history. Kotaku. Retrieved from https://kotaku.com/the-10-best-moments-in-pro-gaming-history-5820907 Crust, L. and Nesti, M. (2006) A Review of Psychological Momentum in Sports: Why qualitative research is needed. Athletic Insight 8, 1. pp.1–15. Davidson, D. (2011). The performance of gameplay: Developing a ludoliteracy. Eludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture, 5(1), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.7557/23.6123 Keogh, B. (2018). A play of bodies: How we perceive videogames. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262037631/a-play-of-bodies/ Mukherjee, S. (2015). Video games and storytelling: Reading games and playing books. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137525055 Strojny, P., Strojny, A., & Rębilas, K. (2023). Player involvement as a result of difficulty: An introductory study to test the suitability of the motivational intensity approach to video game research. PLoS One, 18(3), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0282966 Zimmerman, E. (2022). The rules we break: Lessons in play, thinking, and design. Princeton Architectural Press.

ABSTRACT. Addressing the complexity of changing player behavior beyond the game context, this work offers a framework for designing playful interactive media experiences including what is commonly labelled games for change. The goal is to provide a theory-informed model for designing experiences that are engaging to players of social impact games, by considering the balance of play and non-play state with user and player states. It positions prior work, practice, and theory as a means for framing a model of interest, activities and opinions change through game design. To do so the design, implementation and efficacy analysis must consider the experience from the perpetual transitions of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and knowledge sets, that are held by the distinct identities of user and player in any playful system. The work is informed experience designing, developing and evaluating more than 50 such games across a myriad of domains and projects.

ABSTRACT. Since the dawn of video games, the educational potential of virtual worlds has been recognized, demonstrated by titles such as the famous The Oregon Trail (1971). After decades of development, this medium is now perceived as a cultural vehicle (Cerezo-Pizarro et al. 2023) and a means for individual and social change. This has resulted in movements like Games for Change and Games for Impact (Ashton 2007) not only due to the traits of games (e.g., interactivity), but also their rising popularity among wide audiences. Consequently, more people with diverse preferences can play and learn through gaming. However, this increased recognition of the educational and socio-cultural potential of video games raises more questions. Perhaps the most important one is: how can we design, produce, and distribute games that have an impact? While there are useful answers to such questions (Grace 2019), there is more to explore, especially regarding the real-life challenges and opportunities for developing successful impact games.

The aim of the presentation is to provide video game developers' perspectives on social impact games, based on the author’s qualitative research. This research draws not only from theoretical sources but also from the experiences and perspectives of practitioners who create impactful titles. The study was conducted between October and November 2024 among an international group of 15 video game creators (10 men, 4 women, 1 agender) with varying experiences in video game production, including game design and production students, academic professionals, and individuals with different levels of experience in game development companies.

For better understanding and deeper conclusions, the interviews with creators were preceded by testing sessions of their selected games that fall under the broadly defined category of social impact games, which “try to affect the learner’s perspective (…) and teach or inform about social issues” (Ruggiero 2013). The experiences from these gameplay sessions were incorporated into the interview questionnaire as a set of additional questions. The scope of the selected games varies from student or game jam projects to those published as a result of international collaborations (grants), and includes empathy games portraying difficult individual situations or experiences, ecological issues, historical conflicts, or modern life challenges. This results in a comprehensive dataset of examples. The interviews were recorded and will be analyzed using the coding technique to identify the most important themes across the gathered data (Sheppard 2020).

The interview questionnaire consists of more than 40 questions that cover topics such as: • Interviewees' educational backgrounds and experiences in game development; • Details about the selected game development process, including design decisions, used technology, challenges, and issues; • The game's reception during playtests, presentations, and after release; • Opinions about social impact or serious games, their potential and limitations, also in the perspective of older media; • Ideas about social impact games promotion and popularization.

Finally, the themes will be categorized and synthesized into recommendations and challenges that might occur during all main stages of a video game’s preproduction, production, and distribution.

This presentation will provide the audience with a better understanding of video games as a means for individual or group changes, including theoretical and practical suggestions. Therefore, it should be interesting not only for scholars focused on theoretical aspects but also for those who try to develop their own projects for DGBL (Digital Games-Based Learning) interventions.

REFERENCES Ashton, D. 2007. “Games for Change: A Cultural studies and social impact gaming dialogue. Paper present at the Cultural Studies Now Conference, London, UK. https://culturalstudiesresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/AshtonGames4Change.pdf

Cerezo-Pizarro, M., Revuelta-Domínguez, F. -I., Guerra-Antequera, J., & Melo-Sánchez, J. 2023. “The Cultural Impact of Video Games: A Systematic Review of the Literature”. Education Sciences, 13(11), 1116. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111116

Grace, L. 2019. Doing Things with Games: Social Impact Through Play (1st ed.). Boca Raton, FL, USA: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429429880

Ruggiero, D. 2013. “The Four Keys of Social Impact Games”. Paper present at the Foundations of Digital Games Conference (FDG2013), Chania, Greece, 14–17 May 2013. http://www.fdg2013.org/program/workshops/papers/IDGEI2013/idgei2013_2.pdf

Sheppard, V. 2020. Research Methods for the Social Sciences: An Introduction. BCcampus. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/jibcresearchmethods/chapter/10-5-analysis-of-qualitative-interview-data/

ABSTRACT. Electronic Waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing waste stream worldwide, and the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is greatly accelerating e-waste production. IoT devices are often designed to limit repairability and shorten lifespans, resulting in products rendered prematurely obsolete. Additionally, guidance that should inform consumers how to responsibly manage a products end-of-life is severely lacking, leading to improper disposal and further environmental harm. This paper argues that challenging these harmful cycles requires citizens and communities to have better access to knowledge and practical skills - which are essential to successfully embrace a culture of repair and reuse towards a wider sustainability transition. This paper presents two Serious Games - Re:Play and RepairLand – interactive experiences aiming to engage and educate. Applying Research-through-Design and Speculative Design approaches, this paper presents our design decisions and critical reflections that shaped the development of these games.

ABSTRACT. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have gone mainstream in many industries, as initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact have gained traction and many formerly voluntary sustainability practices have become mandatory for business, especially in the EU. Moreover, sustainability standards are now common, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are routinely being used to screen investments (Clarkin, Sawyer & Levin, 2020). However, the game industry has made comparatively little systematic effort addressing its sustainability and CSR issues since scholars first raised the issue (Jones, Comfort & Hillier, 2013; Busch, 2015). In our paper, we will thus (1) present well-documented, high-profile challenges illustrating the game industry’s struggles across the three classic pillars of sustainability, and (2) apply three critical business sustainability frameworks to identify the game industry’s normative obligations regarding sustainability. This is to provide a stakeholder mapping that is intended to show how stakeholder groups can respond to these challenges. In doing so, we aim to introduce game studies scholars to highly relevant work in the field of business ethics that lends itself very well as a springboard to advancing interdisciplinary research.

ABSTRACT. While professionals’ perception of the cloning and inspiration in video game production and related discourse has been addressed by previous research from the ethical, legal, and moral aspects , the players’ perception of “originality” “cloning” and “plagiarism” in video games remains underresearched. Building on this gap, this paper focuses on the discourse surrounding “originality in video games” taking Erzurum by Proximity Games as a case study. Erzurum, an indie game developed in Turkey, offers as a thought-provoking case of the fine line between inspiration and cloning. The single player survival title is set in Erzurum, one of the coldest regions in Turkey, in the aftermath of a fictional meteor strike. The game adopts the standard mechanics of resource management, crafting and exploration. What makes it stand out is its similarity to the critically acclaimed survival title The Long Dark . While Erzurum fails to offer paralleled visual aesthetics, it adopts a similar storyline and offers similar game mechanics implementation. Moreover, Erzurum features Northern Lights, an atmospheric phenomenon not native to the game's setting, provoking further discussion. The debate about Erzurum's nuanced status, initially originated in Steam reviews with fans being vocal in condemning Erzurum’s “cloning” the Long Dark, broadened to streamers’ Let's Play videos, game critics and gaming streams at a later phase. The discussion revolves around two main tenets: one portraying the title as a clone that could be labelled as a mod, while the other argues overlooking the nuanced status of the game could aid in promoting the local indie development scene. The latter perspective has also been advocated for by the developer, who contends that criticism of the game translates into discouragement for local indie developers. This paper investigates the discussion about Erzurum adopting a two-fold methodology. On the first layer, I explore and document the ludic aspects and narrative context shared by both games based on the self-reflexive game play diaries. On the second layer, I critically investigate Erzurum’s reception in the gaming community context; adopting discourse analysis and qualitative content analysis of the selected, screened, and classified 640 Steam Reviews, 57 Steam Discussions entries, developers replies and social media posts, Erzurum title in Ekşisozluk, a Turkey based popular collaborative hypertext dictionary, following the transcription of 4 video reviews and 7 recorded video game streams. Initial findings from the content analysis reveal that players' perceptions of originality are shaped by both visual aesthetics and gameplay mechanics. While Erzurum is widely criticized for failing to provide a novel perspective in either area, the majority of player complaints center on poorly designed gameplay mechanics rather than visual aesthetics. The gameplay is often described as repetitive and lacking depth with poorly implemented survival elements that fail to engage players meaningfully. In terms of visual aesthetics, although the game depicts the snowy landscapes of Eastern Anatolia, players generally view its graphics as outdated and unpolished with inconsistent texture quality and animations. However, these shortcomings in visual design are typically less emphasized compared to criticisms of gameplay. On the other hand, poor localization of The Long Dark’s landscape, especially based on a culturally specific setting, detracts from the authenticity and originality of the experience.

Streamer and influencer reviews further critique the developers’ framing of the game as a "local success story," with many accusing developers of exploiting nationalist sentiments for marketing purposes. The reviews focus on the view that argue that the game relies heavily on its connection to a regional identity without delivering on the quality or innovation necessary. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the game’s attempt to break new ground in representing a rarely explored geographical and cultural setting within the survival genre. However, ambitions are overshadowed by technical flaws, uninspired design, and missed opportunities to innovate or connect meaningfully with its audience. This paper will provide fresh insight into the research on the reception of video game as an original product in three interrelated contexts of developers, players, and game critics. Drawing on the analysis, this paper will explore a broader context of reception of originality in game design. The study not only focuses on the subjective interpretations of originality by each group but also investigates how these perceptions influence and interact with one another.

ABSTRACT. This paper presents findings from an empirical study examining the impact of loop structures on narrative time (Genette 1980; Wei et al. 2010; Zagal & Mateas, 2010) and player agency (Domsch 2013; Bόdi 2023) in Hades (2020) and Twelve Minutes (2021). Both games utilize looping mechanics but differ in their treatment of time: Hades allows unlimited time per loop, while Twelve Minutes imposes a strict twelve-minute limit. With their similar looping structures and contrasting approaches to narrative time, these games are compelling case studies for exploring player agency. Ten participants (aged 18-30) each played one game for ninety minutes, followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that time constraints significantly influence decision-making, with Twelve Minutes players making more rushed choices. Players’ perceptions of playtimes were unaffected by the presence or absence of a time limit, and emotional investment among participants was limited across both games. This paper contributes to existing theoretical frameworks by analyzing loop structures as both gameplay mechanics and narrative devices. By integrating player data, it highlights how time loops influence storytelling and decision-making, advancing empirical research on player experiences in narrative-focused games. Ultimately, this paper argues that Hades and Twelve Minutes demonstrate the potential of loop structures to shape gameplay and deepen narrative experiences.

ABSTRACT. This is an extended abstract that presents an overview of broader research in which I will advance a taxonomy of time loops in Digital Games. By focusing on specific case studies in which a main character is conscious of the loop in which he/she is trapped after every death, I will advance three categories: no-time-morphology loop, timing-exploration loop, and hybrid loop.

ABSTRACT. This paper examines temporal agency in video games, referred to as the player's ability to manipulate time within the game world, to make decisions, and to observe their consequences. Building on existing scholarship about ludic agency and ludic temporality, this paper utilizes analytical formalism to examine how games with time manipulation, particularly those with recursive temporal mechanics, shape gameplay experience. The analysis identifies four key forms of Timeplay (gameplay with time): Adaptive, Strategic, Ethical, and Reflective, each emphasizing a unique aspect of the player’s relationship with time. By analyzing selected games, this paper demonstrates how each form of Timeplay provides players with distinctive forms of temporal agency, deepening our insights into the interplay between time, choice, and the gameplay experience. This paper offers a framework for understanding and analyzing the multifaceted ways players engage with time in video games, expanding the existing analyses of ludic temporality and broadening our understanding of ludic agency.