Heart Machine

Characteristically Tensive: The Unreal in Poetic Gaming

This extended abstract, presented at DiGRA 2018, argues that the perceived tension between the ludic and literary elements in poetry games is not a paradox but a characteristic feature of both poetry and, to a lesser extent, computer games in general.

• The paper argues that tension between ludic and literary elements in poetry games is not a flaw to be resolved but a coherent expression of poetics, and that this tensive quality is characteristic of poetry itself.
• It challenges Astrid Ensslin's model of poetry games as a paradox between deep and hyper attention, arguing the dualistic model is too crude because many game genres already require players to shift between menus, 3D environments, cut scenes, and decision trees.
• Drawing on Philip Wheelwright, Roman Jakobson, and John Shoptaw, the paper extends principles of poetic tension from written language to game components such as levels, sprites, and textures, which gain semantic meaning only through interaction.