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Making Non-Monogamy: A Design-Oriented Approach for Studying Digital Game Intimacies

This paper proposes a design-oriented, participatory research-creation approach to studying non-monogamy in digital games.

• The paper argues that as non-monogamous relationships move from the margins of game culture into mainstream titles, the field should shift from analyzing representations alone toward understanding how players experience these intimacies and how creators might design them to resonate with queer desires and identities.
• The methodology pairs open-ended player questionnaires about gaming and relationship histories with conversational "gaming interviews" conducted during play, allowing participants to revisit and extend earlier responses.
• Interview findings feed an iterative, participatory prototyping process that alternates player feedback with input from small, independent queer game developers based in Montréal, combining players' informal design knowledge with developers' formal expertise.