Validating Video Games as Complex Artifacts

The narrative sense-making of video games relies on different sources of information. Among them is the multimodal system through which games are made sensorially perceivable, the sensorimotor experiences they afford and require, and the mnemonic recollection through which they are made understandable. These sources show strong feedback loops and give rise to an overall meaning that is more than the sum of its parts. As such, narrative-driven video games can be considered complex in themselves. In order to test this theoretical model, a custom-made video game has been developed. By employing simple mechanics and simple graphics, the game will be the basis for conducting a think-aloud session. The session will give insights into the actual cognitive mechanisms of players, to investigate how their sense-making works.