Anachrony (non-linear chronology) is an interesting narrative device. However, in games, the use of anachrony can lead to coherence problems in the story, as the player may change the course of the future, which can differ considerably...
moreAnachrony (non-linear chronology) is an interesting narrative device. However, in games, the use of anachrony can lead to coherence problems in the story, as the player may change the course of the future, which can differ considerably from the future already presented to the player. If such issue is not tended to by the design at any point in the game, it means that an unexplained agency-related incoherence (UARI) is introduced into the game's storyline. The interesting questions evoked by this for game design are: What does UARI mean for players? How important game story coherence is for the play experience? Which emotions does UARI evoke? Would players prefer UARI to be removed? To answer these questions, games were developed that feature possibilities for the occurrence of UARI in both anachronic and linear game story scenarios. User studies were carried out with 20 participants, and the data was analyzed using grounded theory principles. In the resulting theory, three main player perspectives to UARI were identified: With anachronic game stories, an acceptive-ludic perspective views the UARI as an inevitable and natural result of the game mechanics of changing the future. With both anachronic and linear game stories, an acceptive-
diegetic perspective views the UARI as part of the story, belonging to the intended experience. With both anachronic and linear game stories, a rejective-logical perspective views the UARI as an unacceptable error in the logic of the game's causal story world.
