Théorie de la fiction et esthétique des jeux [peer-reviewed article]

Caïra, Olivier. « Théorie de la fiction et esthétique des jeux ». Sciences du jeu, nᵒ 6 (2016). doi:10.4000/sdj.671.

[original abstract, bold characters from me:] Games hold a central position in the range of contemporary fictions. While abstract games form an autonomous cluster of logical-mathematical expression, simulation games are designed by associating a theme and a system, which makes them both mimetic and axiomatic. This paper studies several expressions of aesthetic pleasure in relation to the experience of games, regardless of their image or sound quality. In the case of abstract games, three forms are identified: “sublime” reflects our inability to grasp the countless combinations of a system, “subtle” is expressed when handling original or difficult puzzles, “marvellous” is prompted by the discovery of unexpected properties within the rules. Simulation games are examined in two sections. In the case of board and roleplaying games, the simulation system is stylised so that users can handle it. On the contrary, computer games are based on complex systems, but designers locally modify the simulation engine or the environment to create aesthetic details.