Perma-dying Worlds and the Limit of Eternal Return in Digital Games

• Authors: Imbierowicz Eleonora

Title variants

PL

Światy, które umierają na zawsze. Granica wiecznego powrotu w grach cyfrowych

• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The article discusses the types of death in selected digital and tabletop games, sorting them into two groups: ones that follow the pattern of eternal return and allow the player to endlessly respawn in their worlds, and ones that limit the possibility of coming back. The article focuses on the latter, and analyses the mechanics limiting the access to the game – from permadeath, through the randomness and unique character of the events happening in online multiplayer games, up to permapermadeath – and the effects of the application of these mechanics.

PL

Artykuł omawia rodzaje śmierci w wybranych grach cyfrowych i planszowych, dzieląc gry na dwie grupy: te, które pozwalają graczom powracać do swoich światów niezliczoną ilość razy i realizują w ten sposób ideę wiecznego powrotu, oraz te, które ograniczają liczbę możliwych powtórzeń. Artykuł skupia się na tych drugich, opisując mechaniki ograniczające dostęp do treści gry – począwszy od permadeath, poprzez losowość i jednorazowość przeżyć w wybranych grach typu multiplayer online, aż do permapermadeath – i analizując skutki ich stosowania.

Keywords

EN

permapermadeath; permadeath; eternal recurrence; mechanics of death

PL

permapermadeath; permadeath; wieczny powrót; mechaniki śmierci

• Publisher: Polskie Towarzystwo Badania Gier (Games Research Association of Poland)
• Journal: Homo Ludens
• Year: 2019
• Issue: 1(12)
• Pages: 77-91

Dates

published

2019-12-19

Contributors

author

Imbierowicz Eleonora

• University of Wrocław

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Identifiers

DOI

10.14746/hl.2019.12.4