Abstract
In recent years, we have observed the emergence of a variety of video games that allow their players to temporarily exist entangled in more-than-human worlds, becoming with other species and things. Informed and inspired by posthuman philosophies, this article examines three video games: Everything (2017), Stray (2022), and Endling - Extinction is Forever (2022). This analysis focuses on three key questions: 1) How are these games enabling players to become with non-human characters representing real-life organisms? 2) What kinds of knowledge do players gain about these worlds? 3) How to define a more-than-human playful experience? The article concludes by introducing an initial draft of guidelines intended to facilitate the development of more-than-human games.
Keywords
game design; more-than-human; non-anthropocentric; become with; play
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.606
Citation
Pais, F. (2024) Exploring more-than-human worlds and becoming with living and non-living entities through play, in Gray, C., Ciliotta Chehade, E., Hekkert, P., Forlano, L., Ciuccarelli, P., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2024: Boston, 23–28 June, Boston, USA. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.606
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Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Exploring more-than-human worlds and becoming with living and non-living entities through play
In recent years, we have observed the emergence of a variety of video games that allow their players to temporarily exist entangled in more-than-human worlds, becoming with other species and things. Informed and inspired by posthuman philosophies, this article examines three video games: Everything (2017), Stray (2022), and Endling - Extinction is Forever (2022). This analysis focuses on three key questions: 1) How are these games enabling players to become with non-human characters representing real-life organisms? 2) What kinds of knowledge do players gain about these worlds? 3) How to define a more-than-human playful experience? The article concludes by introducing an initial draft of guidelines intended to facilitate the development of more-than-human games.