Fiction Writing
Fictional Games: A Philosophy of Worldbuilding and Imaginary Play
Stefano Gualeni and Riccardo Fassone 2023 10 references
Gualeni & Fassone's philosophy of fictional games — games within fiction that are unplayable by design. Use when analyzing, designing, or writing about games embedded in fictional worlds.
game-studies worldbuilding philosophy-of-play fictional-games media-theory ludology
Overview
The Core Framework
- Fictional games are games depicted within works of fiction (novels, films, TV, video games) that are inherently unplayable — their incompleteness is expressive, not a deficiency
- Four sources of unplayability: fictional incompleteness, impossible features, nonhuman design, ethical impermissibility
- Fictional games serve four thematic functions: ideology (replicating power structures), utopia (subverting them), deception (blurring play/reality), transcendence (overcoming human limitations)
- Use the ground/figure distinction: background games build atmosphere (ground); focal games drive narrative (figure)
- Almost all fictional games are inherently meta-referential — they invite reflection on actual games and play culture
Quick Lookup
| Situation | Do This | Avoid This |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying a fictional game | Apply the "double definition": is it a game AND understood as one by characters? | Confusing minigames (playable sub-games) or nested games (in-game cabinets) with fictional games |
| Classifying prominence | Use ground/figure: does it build atmosphere or drive narrative? | Assuming ground games are unimportant — they carry implicit ideology |
| Analyzing function | Check all four categories (ideology, utopia, deception, transcendence) — they're non-exclusive | Forcing a single-category reading when multiple apply |
| Designing for worldbuilding | Embrace incompleteness — hint at rules, don't specify everything | Over-specifying rules, which kills ontological fluidity |
| Assessing meta-referentiality | Ask what the game says about actual games and play culture | Assuming meta-referentiality requires explicit parody |
The Key Insight
"Gualeni and Fassone thematize the unplayability of fictional games, making their incompleteness and unavailability to player experience an intrinsic aspect of their expressivity, rather than a limitation to be overcome." — Daniel Vella, Foreword
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