Experiential Metaphors in Abstract Games

Jason Begy

Abstract


Despite their age and prevalence, abstract games are often overlooked in contemporary discussions of games and meaning. In this paper I offer experiential metaphors as a critical method applicable to all games, particularly abstract games. To do this I introduce structural metaphors, image schemata and experiential gestalts to explain how experiential metaphors function. I then compare this method with the simulation gap (Bogost 2006, 2007) and show how the two relate. I close with two examples of abstract games that function as experiential metaphors.


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.26503/todigra.v1i1.3
 
 
Published by the Digital Games Research Association.