The International Journal of Computer Game Research

Our Mission - To explore the rich cultural genre of games; to give scholars a peer-reviewed forum for their ideas and theories; to provide an academic channel for the ongoing discussions on games and gaming.

Game Studies is a non-profit, open-access, crossdisciplinary journal dedicated to games research, web-published several times a year at www.gamestudies.org.

Our primary focus is aesthetic, cultural and communicative aspects of computer games, but any previously unpublished article focused on games and gaming is welcome. Proposed articles should be jargon-free, and should attempt to shed new light on games, rather than simply use games as metaphor or illustration of some other theory or phenomenon.



Game Studies is published with the support of:

The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet)

The Joint Committee for Nordic Research Councils for the Humanities and the Social Sciences

Blekinge Institute of Technology

IT University of Copenhagen

Lund University

If you would like to make a donation to the Game Studies Foundation, which is a non-profit foundation established for the purpose of ensuring continuous publication of Game Studies, please contact the Editor-in-Chief or send an email to: foundation at gamestudies dot org
The Language of Digital Love: Introducing a Taxonomy of Romance for the AAA Game

by Amy Brierley-Beare

This article positions romance as a distinct object of analysis and theorizes a taxonomy of romantic representations in AAA video games. By understanding romance as unique and varied, scholars can more effectively unpack how these experiences mediate representations of sexuality and gender in digital gaming. [more]
Radical Digital Fishing: From Minigames to Bad Environmentalism

by Marco Caracciolo

Inspired by arguments on the value of irony and incongruity in times of ecological crisis, this article discusses how fishing in video games can push against dualistic assumptions about the natural world. This “radical digital fishing” is examined in two recent indie games, Dave the Diver (Mintrocket, 2023) and Dredge (Black Salt Games, 2023). [more]
Playstyles in Signalis: Style as an Aesthetic Habit

by Johan Kalmanlehto

This article constructs a conceptualisation of playstyle as an aesthetically valuable way to play a game. Playstyle considers the player’s interaction with the game mechanics in an attempt to complete practical, goal-oriented gameplay tasks. The argument in this work is supported by an analysis of the game Signalis. [more]
Improving optionality in video game dialogue with Trope-Informed Design

by Stephanie Rennick, Seán Roberts

This article applies Trope-Informed Design to optionality in video game dialogue. We show that pragmatic optionality is most common in video games and causes issues for players. The article suggests how developers can manage resources more effectively, taking inspiration from real life conversation systems. [more]
Labyrinths and remediation: the birth and resolution of the humanist subject in the video game Pentiment

by Zsófia O. Réti

This article relies on the model of remediation developed by Bolter and Grusin to analyse Obsidian Entertainment’s 2022 game Pentiment. While the game simulates the emergence of the humanist subject, it also uses hypermediation techniques to create rhizomatic structures in which the Others of the white humanist man can find their voice. [more]
The Analytical Behaviors of Genshin Impact Lore Enthusiasts: An (Auto)ethnographic Look at r/Genshin_Lore

by Paul A. Thomas

This digital (auto)ethnography examines how r/Genshin_Lore members analyze Genshin Impact's lore. It argues that lore speculation is a quasi-academic approach that exemplifies “narractivity,” blending canon with conjecture. The article concludes that this activity functions as an "informational meta-game" that can foster communities. [more]

 

©2001 - 2025 Game Studies Copyright for articles published in this journal is retained by the journal, except for the right to republish in printed paper publications, which belongs to the authors, but with first publication rights granted to the journal. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.