Missile Command

Narrative Mechanics - How Missile Command Tells a Story - Extra Credits

The arcade game Missile Command serves as a primary case study for how game mechanics can function as a sophisticated narrative tool, moving beyond traditional storytelling to evoke complex moral and emotional responses.

• Game mechanics can function as a primary narrative tool to evoke complex moral and emotional responses, proving that play itself can serve as an independent art form.
• Missile Command forces players into a reactionary role, shifting the focus from traditional gaming tropes of power and conquest to themes of vulnerability and duty.
• The game’s design uses resource scarcity to compel players to make high-stakes, real-time moral calculations, such as choosing which of the six cities to protect.