The Dark Side of Game Play

by Jonas Linderoth (Editor), Jonas Linderoth (Editor), Ashley ML Brown (Editor)

Games allow players to experiment and play with subject positions, values and moral choice. In game worlds players can take on the role of antagonists; they allow us to play with behaviour that would be offensive, illegal or immoral if it happened outside of the game sphere. While contemporary games have always handled certain problematic topics, such as war, disasters, human decay, post-apocalyptic futures, cruelty and betrayal, lately even the most playful of genres are introducing situations in which players are presented with difficult ethical and moral dilemmas. This volume is an investigation of "dark play" in video games, or game play with controversial themes as well as controversial play behaviour. It covers such questions as: Why do some games stir up political controversies? How do games invite, or even push players towards dark play through their design? Where are the boundaries for what can be presented in a games? Are these boundaries different from other media such as film and books, and if so why? What is the allure of dark play and why do players engage in these practices?

Genres: Games

280 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2015

Reviews

[Liz Davidson]

Very interesting study of dark play and difficult themes in games.

[Mikael Cerbing]

This was a surprisingly good collection of essays about the darker parts of gaming. Most of the articles are about video games, but one also brings up table top roleplaying games (and it has one of the best article titels I have seen). Quite a few of the ideas and discussions in this book is also well worth using while looking at other types of games and play. I was impressed.