Exposition

Janet Murray described a successful narrative game – “cyberdrama” to use her word – as one that affords player agency, immersion, and transformation. Other researchers, notably Espen Aarseth and Markku Eskelinen, have produced some strong arguments against (mis)applying narratology to games, for trying to find or require narrative in games. I think the shortest description of their case is that games are not stories, that the best games are not narrative-focused, and that games that attempt to be primarily narratives end up doing neither well. As narratives, they are weak, and as games they aren’t fun.

A game becomes narrative-like when the engaging power — the addictiveness — is shared between the play, the events in the storyworld, and the development of the player’s role, possibly their character, in affecting the world. Is this something that can be more impressively and consistently achieved? I believe the potential of the form is still being explored, and will use this space to discuss theory, design methodologies, and aesthetics as they apply to games.