Video games as ergodic literature: non-trivial participation in narrative construction. The case of Octopath Traveler

Abstract

The ongoing evolution of technology has given rise to a unique narrative medium: video games. With time, they have become increasingly complex objects with a greater capacity to communicate narratives and integrate players into them, making them key figures in their creation and progress. Starting from the concept of ergodic literature proposed by Espen Aarseth and his idea of non-trivial effort, we will study the 2018 video game Octopath Traveler to identify and detail the player's role in narrative progress. To do so, we will use textual analysis to characterize aspects of gameplay and game structure that influence story construction. Preliminarily, we identified the selection of the starting character, the player’s narrative progress, and the exploration of optional secondary narratives (sidequests) as three instances that allow for the reader’s decisive participation in the development of the story.