The problematic space between art, ambition, and gameplay: The Medium and the issues concerning difficult subject matter and gameplay in games

TL;DR

This paper explores how speculative games like The Medium struggle to balance serious themes with engaging gameplay.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for analyzing tensions between game design intentions and player interpretations in speculative games.

Findings

Speculative games can symbolically represent sensitive topics but may fail to deliver satisfying gameplay.

The Medium exemplifies how design ambitions can clash with player expectations.

Player interpretations often diverge from the designers' intended experience.

Abstract

This article identifies and examines a couple of selected issues regarding speculative digital games which endeavor to deal with serious subject matter. Due to the fact that speculative games are exceptionally well suited for symbolic representation of sensitive topics, they allow their creators to conceive ambitious projects that aspire to be great works of audiovisual art. However, because game texts belong to a very specific medium, it is not always possible to realize this ambition in the context of gameplay. For reasons of space and focus this article uses one particular game,
The Medium (2021), to serve as the primary example of how the problems which occur in the process of combining specific, engaging gameplay with serious, sensitive subject matter, lead to situations in which a game can fail to fulfill the player’s expectations. By analyzing the structure, gameplay, and storytelling tools employed in
The Medium, the article places emphasis on the significance of the possible tensions between the intention of the designers of the game experience and the experiences, ideas, and interpretations the players themselves bring to the game text.