Video Games as Storytelling Worlds

On 8 January 2026, Dr Felix Schniz held a guest presentation at the University of Graz. Invited by the Department of English, his talk focused on the narrative capabilities of video games:

 

Video Games as Storytelling Worlds

The capacities for narrative superstructures in video games are often depicted as being at odds with their elementary interactivity. From the game studies defining faux-skirmish between ludology and narratology, the question of spatial narrative capacities, and steadily refining perspectives on the literary purpose of video games, the central question remained ever the same: What is the connection between agency and the literary?

 

This lecture session explores the question in depth. It builds on an approximate definition of the multidisciplinary and complex medium to map its historical literary emancipation. Following this overview, concrete examples are used to evaluate the usage of literary key terminology for the analysis of video games. A distinct focus is set on the unique potential for interactive storytelling in video games.