Chapter 6 of Artful Design was interesting to read for me because I have not played many computer games, so it was insightful to get an in-depth perspective on them. The idea that stood out the most to me and really made me think was Principle 6.5: Reflection – games as mirror of our humanness.
Growing up, the only computer or video games I really played were some Nintendo games like Mario Kart. I never associated games with a reflection of our humanness, so I was surprised to learn in this chapter that there are games that touch on topics such as cancer. In class, Kunwoo showed games such as What Remains of Edith Finch and Papers, Please, and I was stunned and captivated by these games. Especially for the game What Remains of Edith Finch, I was completely drawn into the world and characters that were created. However, one major thought I had while in class and while reading this chapter was – why have I never heard of these amazing games until now?
One aspect I am curious about is the ability of these games to breakthrough into mainstream consciouness. Games such as That Dragon Cancer and What Remains of Edith Finch appear to have very strong stortelling and narrative cores that shed light on and inspire contemplation on the human condition. However, unlike movies or books that may similarly have powerful narratives, I’ve rarely heard of people discussing computer games the same way I’ve heard people discussing movies and books. Instead, what I often hear people talking about if they talk about games are games such as League of Legends or Animal Crossing. I wonder if I am simply not in the right circles and these are common games that people will talk about or if there are other reasons such as the game being too niche.
This chapter also touches on the idea of gamification, “applying game design elements in non-game contexts” (principle 6.12). While learning about the wide variety of games, a thought I had was that these storytelling and narrative games are like the “gamified” version of a movie or book. Instead of passive engagement with the story, it encourages active interaction and may even lead to flow. Someone watching a movie may not feel flow, but they might feel it while playing a game. It reminded me a little of the film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch on Netflix. To a much lesser degree compared to a computer game, for this film, as a person watches, they must make some interactive choices to move the plot forward. These examples of narrative-based games forced me to reconsider what computer games can encapsulate and how much depth, contemplation, and emotion they can provoke.