Ways Theme is Expressed in Games
Theme is one of the most commonly used lenses when discussing games, perhaps even ahead of genre, but we’ve often found it’s rarely used exactly the same way by two different people. It’s not uncommon that two people might use the word ‘theme’ in the same conversation and functionally mean totally different aspects of the game they’re discussing. For the purposes of our conversation we defined as:
• Theme: the subject of a game
In hopes of unpacking the differences between what people might be talking about when discussing ‘theme’ in games, we set out to categorize the different ways that theme is expressed by games. For our new thematic lens we argue that theme falls into two distinct categories, presentation and gameplay; furthermore, and this is where I’d argue it gets more interesting, there are three types of ways in which games express their theme:
• Environmental (presentation): The extent to which the game's subject is portrayed through art, flavor text, production, title, etc…
• Mechanical (gameplay): The extent to which the game simulates the subject.
• Decisional or Agential (gameplay): The extent to which players feel like they are enacting the subject while playing the game.
All games express their theme differently and the degree to which all games are thematic, and how they express this theme (environmentally, mechanically, and/or decisionally) exists on a spectrum. There are highly thematic games that have high environmental theme and no mechanical or decisional theme’ing. Likewise a game might have high mechanical theme but relatively little environmental or decisional theme’ing. Using this lens to think about games in these terms is perhaps its most useful application so I’ve included a list of examples below.
Before getting to the examples, I’d like to note the factors we discussed that determine how effective mechanical theme’ing and decisional theme’ing is in a game (I’ll pass over a discussion of aesthetics for Environmental theme’ing because I think it’s a bit more intuitive).
What determines how effective the mechanical theme’ing of a game is?
• How effectively is the mechanical premise delivered on? I.e. is the the subject of the game delivered on by the core actions available to the player? For example, if this is a farming game am I able to take actions that are appropriate given that subject? If this is a spaceship racing game, are the actions available to the player tied to steering, managing engines, charting a course, etc…
• How effectively does the game leverage the player's mechanical literacy? I.e. do my expectations of what these actions do align with what they actually do in the context of the game? For example, shields increase defense, not attack, wings allow you to fly, and new technology gives you access to something new or better to do in the game.
• Are the mechanics intuitive? If so that’s probably the product of good mechanical theme’ing.
What determines how effective the decisional theme’ing is?
• How effectively do the gameplay incentives lead to behavior that feels thematic to the subject? For example, in The Resistance, as a spy, you are incentivized to lie and cast doubt on other players in the game. As a resistance member, you are incentivized to passionately tell the truth.
• To what degree does interaction with the game’s systems and actions make you feel like you’re enacting the subject?
• How much does the player interaction lead to moments that feel true of the subject and thematic environment?
• What is communication at the table like? Are players encouraged to and talking in the terms of the game (“doubloons” and “cannons” for a pirate game), or are mechanical realities (“victory points” and “attack strength”) at the forefront of explanation? If the latter is true, the decisional theme’ing is likely low.
Different approaches to theme in a game are synergistic and interconnected. The mechanical theme’ing of a game can impact the effectiveness of the decisional theme’ing. Likewise, the mechanical and decisional theme’ing directly ties into how effective the environmental theme’ing is and vice versa. If the game presents itself as having bright, cheery, and loose systems with its environmental theme’ing but its gameplay is harsh, brutal, and tight there’s going to be a lot of ludonarrative dissonance that makes the game less effective from a thematic perspective.
Now for some examples. For simplicity sake, despite theme existing on a spectrum, we boiled our examples down to high low. High represents a game that has strong theme’ing of the associated type and low represents a game that has little, or no theme’ing of the associated type.
Game examples:
Environmental: High
Mechanical: High
Decisional : High
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Pandemic, T.I.M.E Stories, Kitchen Rush
Environmental: High
Mechanical: High
Decisional : Low
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Lost Ruins of Arnak, Vinhos, Terraforming Mars
Environmental: High
Mechanical: Low
Decisional : High
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Mansions of Madness, Arkham Horror: LCG
Environmental: High
Mechanical: Low
Decisional : Low
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Wingspan
Environmental: Low
Mechanical: High
Decisional : High
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The Mind, BattleCON
Environmental: Low
Mechanical: High
Decisional : Low
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Roads Boats, Neuroshima Hex, Sidereal Confluence
Environmental: Low
Mechanical: Low
Decisional : High
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The Resistance, Werewolf, Modern Art, High Society
Environmental: Low
Mechanical: Low
Decisional : Low
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The Castles of Burgundy
