A minor(ity) development : analysing video games as a vehicle for queer art : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Creative Enterprise at Massey University, Wellington

Abstract

We exist in an era in which the presence of video games is almost inescapable. The days of these games being locked in place within bulky machines within an arcade have passed, and now can be found in nearly every digital format from computers to phones to the consoles custom-made to house them. Their presence is in daily life is a given, but little consideration is given to what these games contain, and who made them – and, by extension, the potential within the medium for development and change. This exegesis exists to explore the role that video games can take if used as vehicles for minority art and storytelling, with a particular focus on utilising queer theory within this concept. This is to be contextualised within the work ‘Project: Mystic’, which fulfils the creative project aspect of my submission. This consists of a narrative-driven mystery game set in Aotearoa during the 1920s, where the player is given the goal of investigating the disappearance of the Mystic Liner. Within this, I investigate how stories rooted in queerness can manifest when prioritised above classic game hegemony, as well as how this might affect the playstyle and reception of the game. This is reflected upon via a combination of qualitative surveys and the application of historical queer theory. The resulting analysis discusses both how the idea of queer art manifested within Project: Mystic, and how the gathered research might be utilised best in future production and analysis of game.