Citation

McAllister KS, Ruggill JE. Am. J. Play 2018; 11(1): 85-103.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, The Strong - National Museum of Play, Publisher University of Illinois Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The authors discuss the relationship of death and play as illuminated by computer games. Although these games, they argue, do illustrate the value of being--and staying--alive, they are not so much about life per se as they are about providing gamers with a playground at the edge of mortality. Using a range of visual, auditory, and rule-based distractions, computer games both push thoughts of death away from consciousness and cultivate a perception that death--real death--is predictable, controllable, reasonable, and ultimately benign. Thus, computer games provide opportunities for death play that is both mundane and remarkable, humbling and empowering. The authors label this fundamental characteristic of game play thanatoludism.

Key words: computer games; death and play; thanatoludism

Language: en