IT'S NOT THE END, BUT EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN: AN EXPLORATION OF PERCEIVED AGENCY AND THE INTERTWINED FATES OF THE PLAYER, PLAYABLE CHARACTER AND NPCS IN STORYGAMES

Abstract

The idea of agency in interactive storytelling has long been debated since its initial conception in the 1990s. Agency, in interactive digital narratives, was most notably coined by Murray (1997) as the compelling feeling of making choices and seeing the corresponding impact. In recent years, this discussion has shifted to understanding agency as a perceived sense, one that emphasizes the emotions and affect that players experience. This thesis explores how perceived agency can arise when players engage with storygames, which require the player’s understanding of both narrative elements and the playable system in order to progress. I adopt methodologies such as retrospective protocol analysis, semi-structured interviews and close readings to analyse player experiences in storygames. Based on these studies, I propose a framework for understanding how the player, playable character and non-playable character in a storygame can impact the perceived agency that a player feels as these three entities interact.