How Games Move Us

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This is a renaissance moment for video games, showcasing a variety of genres and emotional depth. How do games evoke such strong emotions? Katherine Isbister explores the design techniques that elicit powerful feelings in players, challenging the notion that games foster isolation and emotional numbness. Instead, she demonstrates that games can cultivate empathy and positive emotional experiences over time. Through a systematic examination, Isbister reveals how games influence emotion and social connection, using examples from popular, indie, and art games to unpack the gaming experience. She highlights key elements like choice and flow that set games apart from other media, explaining how developers leverage these features through avatars, non-player characters, and character customization in both solo and social contexts. Additionally, she discusses how physical movement enhances emotional engagement and explores long-distance networked play. Using examples from titles like Sony's Little Big Planet, the indie game Journey, and Brenda Romero's Train, Isbister provides a fresh perspective on games, illustrating their potential as an innovative medium for self-discovery and understanding the human experience, akin to film and literature.