To Care, or Not: Designing Characters for the Right Emotion

The research explores the mechanisms of player attachment to non-player characters (NPCs) and crew members within video games. The primary thesis examines how game and narrative design choices influence emotional responses, specifically focusing on the tension between authored character development and procedural generation. By analyzing how players form parasocial relationships with digital entities, the work seeks to provide a framework for designers to elicit specific emotional states through intentional character architecture.

The analysis draws upon case studies of prominent titles that utilize emergent narrative systems, including Darkest Dungeon, XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, and Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. These examples serve to illustrate how procedural systems can foster unique, player-specific emotional bonds that differ significantly from traditional, static storytelling. The research highlights the importance of balancing systemic design with narrative depth to ensure that player attachment is both meaningful and consistent with the intended emotional experience.

Presented at the 2026 Game Industry Conference in Poznań, Poland, this work is part of a broader, multi-year research project conducted at the Academy for AI, Games & Media. The study integrates game design, narrative theory, and human capacity research to address the complexities of emotional design in interactive media. By investigating the intersection of procedural generation and character-driven narratives, the findings offer actionable insights for developers aiming to deepen player engagement through more sophisticated and responsive NPC interactions.