In-depth Analysis of Interactive Digital Narrative

Abstract

Critical analysis of narrative artifacts is long established academic practice in literature, film, and theater studies. However, the same is not yet true for Interactive Digital Narrative (IDN). In this field, the maker's own perspective on their work is still dominant, a situation that is unusual in comparison to earlier narrative forms. Important reasons for this state of affairs are the perceived lack of critical vocabulary and dedicated venues for IDN criticism, as well as the need to apply specific theories of IDN to properly tease out the differences between them and unilinear media. In a series of prior workshops, we have developed an analytical toolset that we now want to put to use for the detailed analysis of Firewatch, a prominent IDN artifact.