Interpretive Challenges in Games

Jonne Arjoranta's paper argues that games contain a distinct category of mental challenge, the interpretive challenge, which is separate from the logical or strategic challenges usually discussed in game studies. An interpretive challenge arises when a player must draw on contextual knowledge that lies outside the game itself, such as understanding other people, cultural frameworks, or background concepts, in order to progress or win. The paper contends that while most games involve some interpretation, only a small number make successful interpretation a condition of play, and that recognizing this category can both deepen critical understanding of certain games and offer designers a new design tool.

The argument is developed conceptually and illustrated through a single extended case study, the 2015 game Her Story. In it, players search a database of fragmentary, grainy video interview clips about a murder, and must connect vague statements to narrative events by forming and revising hypotheses. Arjoranta describes this as a hermeneutic circle in the sense developed by Gadamer, requiring the player to grasp issues such as law, evidence, and relationships to make sense of the web of meaning. The paper also briefly identifies other examples, including King of Dragon Pass, Dixit, and the dating sim genre, though these are mentioned rather than analyzed in depth.

The work is theoretical and does not rely on empirical data, surveys, or sample-based methodology. Its scope is limited to the conceptual distinction and one case, and it situates itself within existing hermeneutic approaches to games. The paper is presented as an extended abstract for the 2018 DiGRA conference.