Climbing the mountain to heal the wound. Facing vulnerability in the videoludic space
Abstract
The video game as a text promotes reflections in players that move away from the mechanical challenge and the desire for evasion and incorporate layers of thought, where disciplines such as philosophy and psychology converge. Player involvement and affect amplify the expressive power of game fiction and can be a metaphor for different stages of deconstruction and personal meaning. This article aims to address vulnerability in the video game medium through three case studies, Celeste (Maddy Makes Games, 2018), A Short Hike (adamgryu, 2019) and Haven Park (Bubblebird Studio, 2021), to which we apply tools for video game textual analysis and which we complement with a methodology for aesthetic study through free and analytical play. This research demonstrates that the video game is a potential tool of expression for presenting different vulnerabilities and ways of dealing with them.Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Área Abierta. Revista de comunicación audiovisul y publicitaria is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
Área Abierta. Revista de Comunicación Audiovisual y Publicitaria is an open access journal that does not charge authors for article processing (submission, review or editing) or publication.
