Ghost Story Games

Looping Across Genres: How Time Loops, Roguelikes, and Cyclical Levels Shape Narrative Structure

This paper examines loop-based video games, a category it defines to cover time loop games, roguelikes, and levels built around deliberate repetition, as a shared form of cyclical narrative design.

• The paper defines 'loop-based video games' as a single category covering time loop games, roguelikes, and levels built around deliberate repetition, and argues that the interplay between loops and narrative is fundamental to how these games build their storyworlds.
• The paper's comparative framework assesses loop-based games along three dimensions: loop type (strict time loop, no time limit, or single looping level), world structure (open world, hub worlds, linear, or randomly generated levels), and how these choices shape narrative progression and player influence over story developments.
• The paper identifies the 'narrative puzzle' as a key concept: players assemble story information across repeated attempts, gathering knowledge and solving problems from loop to loop.