Questions without Answers: Enjoyment of Irresolution in Mystery Player Experience
summary
Formalist game analysis of five acclaimed single-player mystery games (71 hours total, one playthrough each) uses a 31-code codebook to derive three themes and practical design guidelines. Key claim: irresolution — unanswered questions — functions as a source of enjoyment rather than failure. The study identifies a prolongable mystery condition that promotes openness and shows interpretation management as the player activity that creates competence and meaning from ambiguity.
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