Stories, probes, and games

This paper is a reflection on the potential of narrative video games for human sense making and perspective taking. Such games are considered in the context of storytelling and reflective action as the two core foundations of human sense making. I propose that narrative video games allow a form of player storytelling at the intersection of the game’s grand narrative and reflective action in a virtual world. I further propose that such games have the potential to create empathy for other people’s situations and perspectives in life.