Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture
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Lies of P and a real boy in fake Bloodborne: Nostalgia and critique in Soulsborne fandom
No full textNostalgia as a longing for a place or time can simultaneously act as an invitation toward belonging and also as a barrier that divides. Utilizing Svetlana Boym’s (2001) framework of restorative and reflective nostalgia, this study undertakes an analysis of press coverage (n=8) and fan comments on YouTube videos (n=400) addressing the digital videogame Lies of P (2023) as a nostalgic trigger. Understanding Lies of P, both in press coverage and fan discussion was often laden with nostalgia for the 2014 videogame Bloodborne and various adaptions of the children’s story The Adventures of Pinocchio. In the case of fan comments in particular, reflective nostalgia, which allows for the possibility of both longing and critical thought to manifest together, emerges strongly as fans contest their understandings of videogames and childhood stories. Lies of P as a nostalgic trigger precipitates fan participation in analysis and critical reflection of media they might otherwise consider above critique. Understanding such gaming and gaming-adjacent spaces where critique and affection blends offers further insight into the social and technical structures that facilitates boundary maintenance
The arena of teamwork: The impact of stellate polygonal seating on multiplayer game performance
No full textMultiplayer gaming highly depends on teamwork, making the spatial arrangement of players an important design factor. This study examines how two seating configurations—linear seating and stellate polygonal seating—affect multiplayer performance, communication, and overall collaborative experience. Twenty-four participants played in teams under both arrangements, followed by surveys from sixteen participants evaluating eight aspects of teamwork and interaction. While linear seating resulted in higher kill counts and thus stronger quantitative performance, players consistently rated stellate polygonal seating more positively, emphasizing its advantages for communication and team-centric engagement. These findings note the complex relationship between spatial layout and team effectiveness in gaming environments and suggest that optimal multiplayer setups require balancing functional performance with social and spatial dynamics. Future work should explore additional spatial variables that may further enhance collaborative gameplay
"The greatest extravaganza of mortal combat ever staged": I guerrieri dell\u27anno 2072, classicism, fascism, and media consolidation in 1980s Italy
No full textThis paper examines the dystopian Italian science-fiction film I guerrieri dell’anno 2072 (Fulci, 1984), with a particular focus on the Battle of the Damned, a deadly televised contest in which condemned prisoners fight to the death in the reconstructed Colosseum in Rome. A consideration of this fictional game within the film’s dystopian future Rome will open onto three intertwined lines of analysis: the classicist impulse to conceive of a continuity between imperial Rome and contemporary Italy, the adoption of this classicism in fascist Italy, and media consolidation in the context of neoliberalism and political corruption in the 1980s. By pursuing these lines of analysis, the paper will argue that Fulci’s film functions as a critique of the national cultural moment from which it looks towards both Italy’s past and future as a continuity of authoritarianism and oppression
On fictional games and fictional game studies
No full textWe explain the concept of fictional games and the theoretical and disciplinary progression that this special issue represents. We summarise the issue and the contributions within it
Unpacking an obfuscated female protagonist: The use of mise-en-scène in minimalist videogame narrative through social semiotics
No full textThis paper explores the portrayal of an obfuscated female protagonist in the minimalist videogame Unpacking, which narrates its story entirely through its mise-en-scène. Adopting a social semiotics approach, the study delves into how the socially constructed elements of the game\u27s mise-en-scène assist players in ‘unpacking’ the protagonist\u27s identity and narrative. Unpacking introduces a novel approach to ludonarratology by intentionally omitting the direct presence of the protagonist, instead focusing on the spaces and objects that players interact with. As players progress through the protagonist\u27s life, these spaces and objects become laden with social significance, creating a shared history between the player and the protagonist. The game diverges from traditional storytelling methods, offering an environment where the story is pieced together through the objects unpacked in each new space the protagonist inhabits. These objects serve as signifiers of her memories, aspirations, and life stages, evolving beyond mere gameplay elements into artefacts that shape her life story. A significant aspect of this paper is its discussion of the novel portrayal of a female protagonist who is omitted from visual representation. Rather than focusing on her physical appearance, the game emphasises unearthing her identity through gameplay, allowing players to discover who she is. The game exemplifies how minimalist narrative techniques, rooted in social semiotics, can foster rich and engaging storytelling experiences. By omitting a visible protagonist, Unpacking allows players to explore and interpret the narrative through the spaces and objects they encounter and the connections they establish between them. This article\u27s significance lies in its examination of Unpacking as a case study for understanding how minimalist narrative techniques can effectively convey a complex and emotionally resonant story through unconventional means
From tradition to interaction: A systematic literature review of cultural heritage representation in entertainment videogames
No full textNowadays, an increasing number of videogames have incorporated cultural heritage elements that belong to a wide variety of regions. This has prompted a growing body of academic research regarding this topic. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review, investigating how different aspects of cultural heritage are represented in entertainment videogames. A thematic analysis of 80 publications was conducted, categorising the studied cultural heritage elements into tangible and intangible themes of cultural heritage. Our review revealed that existing publications have extensively explored the representation of tangible cultural heritage in games, especially architecture and artefacts. In contrast, the representation of intangible cultural heritage has received significantly less attention, such as religious rituals, folklore, and symbolic references. Moreover, we observed that game designers tend to select cultural heritage elements familiar to their target audiences, which lied in depictions of historical periods, notable historical figures, and architectural styles. Finally, this review highlights gaps in current research including a narrow focus on certain game genres and a lack of in-depth study on the representation of intangible cultural heritage
Fake games: On dark and deceptive representations of non-actual games
No full textThis paper provides an introduction to fake games. Based on the concept of fictional games, or non-actual games that are presented to be imagined, I define fake games as non-actual games that are presented with the intention to trigger false beliefs in the existence of the game or its presented mechanics and story. First, I clarify the notion of fake games by comparing it to fictional games. I discuss how some representations of non-existent games blur the boundaries between fiction and lies. Such games are not clearly embedded within works of fiction and are presented without a clear context to help readers decide whether they should believe or imagine the game to exist. I discuss games that are represented through fake/fictional gameplay, paraludic material, or metaludic material. Lastly, I clarify the potential purposes fake games can serve. I distinguish darkly designed fake game representations from deceptively designed ones. The former have the intention of deceiving people into making certain decisions. Fake game advertisements, for example, aim to trick people into downloading mobile games that lack the features showcased in the ad. Deceptively designed fake game representations, on the other hand, deceive players with the aim of giving rise to aesthetically valuable experiences. Players’ false beliefs could, for example, give rise to interesting emotional responses
Fictional games as parody: Analysing the fictional game of Box Peek as parody of the animated series of transmedial gaming franchises
No full textThis paper conducts a textual analysis of the animated comedic web miniseries Box Peek, analysing it as a general parody of transmedial gaming franchises, particularly the Pokémon TV series. The show features the fictional game of Box Peek, which is used as a device to not only provide drama and motivation for the show’s characters, but also to parody the games and associated conceits that are central to these franchises, often for the sake of humour. This discussion makes use of theories of fiction and parody, cultural analyses of Pokémon and children’s media, as well as Box Peek’s creator’s own commentary to understand how fictional[ised] games create meaning for an audience. It concludes having discussed two major threads of analysis. The first concerning the rules of the game, which implies questions of strategy and technology, which eventually concerns fictional world-building, exploiting the fictional and ludic inconsistencies that exist in transmedial game franchises for humour. The second is the way in which Box Peek, after formally parodying shows like Pokémon, then extends this parody by answering the questions it raises. In so doing it is argued that Box Peek is simultaneously imitating the childlike tone of Pokémon before progressing to a more reflective, adult perspective on the enjoyment of these series by the audience themselves. This leads the (presumed millennial) audience to a retrospective self-assessment of how, now in adulthood, they regard transmedial gaming franchises of their childhood in the late 1990s and early 2000s
Bridging fictional game guides and imaginary games: The strange case of Vermis by Plastiboo
No full textThis article proposes a widened view of fictional games by considering the game guidebook Vermis I – Lost Dungeons and Forbidden Woods (2023) by Plastiboo. Through a kaleidoscope of theoretical concepts hailing from playfulness, aesthetics, design, narratology, and literary reception, the authors engage with the issues of literary play and imaginary games. This conclusion is drawn: Vermis exemplifies a fictional game existing both parallel to a secondary world and within its own secondary world created by a factual book. Its format invites a literary play activity showcasing the playful power inherent in fictional games
Not All Fun and Games: Videogame Labour, Project-based Workplaces, and the New Citizenship at Work by Marie-Josée Legault and Johanna Weststar (Concordia University Press, 2024): Book review
No full textA review of Johanna Weststar’s and Marie-Josée Legault’s book Not All Fun and Games: Videogame Labour, Project-based Workplaces, and the New Citizenship at Work. Published by Concordia University Press, 2024. ISBN: 978-1-98811-149-0, 408 pages