Mapping Eco(politics) in Ecogames

The primary objective of this paper is to develop a structural map of eco(political) elements within ecogames to better understand how ecological aspects are configured and to identify ecopolitical patterns. The research proposes a novel analytical path that views ecology and politics as an integrated assemblage, termed eco(politics), differentiating it from existing ecomedia theories and ecocritical game approaches. The proposed mapping tool aims to address the in-game basis for "thinking ecologically" by examining game ontology across four layers: physical, communicational, structural, and mental.

The methodology employs concept mapping to outline relationships between ideas, leveraging its ability to provide a structured, hierarchical, and schematic understanding of complex concepts. This approach is intended as a critical and analytical lens for game scholars to identify eco(political) cues and as an introductory resource for game developers and jammers in creative practice. The concept of eco(politics) is chosen for its proximity to biopolitics, facilitating the depiction of ecogaming assemblages, their power structures, dependencies, and produced habituses.

The paper references four significant paradigms of ecopolitics to inform the mapping process. These include Verena Conley's ecofeminist revolution, Blühdorn and Welsh's analysis of ecopolitics' shift towards greenwashing and simulation politics, Stoett and Mulligan's alternative reading of multi-layered ecopolitical agency, and Kuperus's redefinition of ecopolitics as an experiential politics rooted in non-human communities. These paradigmatic shifts are used to align game ontology elements with conceptualizations of ecopolitics. The scope of the research is theoretical, focusing on developing an analytical framework rather than empirical data from specific games or a particular geographic region.