Paper short abstract:

In my presentation I will discuss death positive indie videogames, that have in recent years gained popularity. I will delve into how these games can help the player reframe thoughts and values attached to death and dying.

Paper long abstract:

Depictions of death in videogames have often been seen as merely violent signifiers of losing. However, new death positive videogames have gained popularity and attention in recent years. These games show how technology can offer a fresh way for the player to face death in a safe way and give space to ponder on life’s (and death’s) big questions. For example, a game titled Mortician’s tale (2017) allows the player to get to know different burial rituals and can offer a way to become familiar with new options. These kinds of games can teach the player, why it can be beneficial to prepare and plan for your own end-of-life and talk about the topic openly with others.

In my presentation, I will discuss what kind of values these types of games promote – how they can help to shape our understanding of what is good death, how to prepare for it and how to even deal with grief. Death positive videogames subvert our expectations on what end-of-life looks like in games. These types of videogames can be seen as one way of normalizing discussions about death in everyday lives in the western world, in which mortality has become quite a taboo topic. Technology is offering us new ways to become once again familiar with death and dying. These games can give the player freedom to get to know this topic on their own terms and at their own pace. As media representations of death and dying can have a powerful impact on how people today view death, it is important to delve deeper into how the topic is portrayed in these exceptional games.