Digitala spel i konstens namn? En undersökning av det fenomenologiska mötet med art games.

Abstract

In this thesis, I have investigated how artistic and cultural values are being produced in art games. In my work I have analyzed four art games and these are That Dragon, Cancer, Papers Please, Gone Home and The Stanley Parable. To dissect these digital games, I have used a method based on phenomenology and game analysis linked to a set of theoretical concepts characterized by posthumanism and scenography. Except from looking at how these digital games produce artistic and cultural values, the study also focused on evaluating the method and theory used in the thesis to contribute with a useful model for investigations of similar phenomena. The study has shown that the selected study objects produce artistic and cultural values linked to conceptualism and contemporary art themes. The study has also shown that the method and theory proposed in this thesis are fruitful for examining digital games and similar digital experiences.