Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In 2012, Anna Anthropy released her computer game Dys4ia about her experiences with hormone replacement therapy. Described explicitly by her as an autobiographical game, Dys4ia inevitably invites comparison with the genres of autobiography, computer game, and digital life narrative. However, it appears to be at odds with all these categories. Within the framework of automediality, introduced by Jörg Dünne and Christian Moser in 2008, this paper seeks to explore these discrepancies. First, it will analyse how Dys4ia relates to notions of autobiography and common types of game. Second, Dys4ia will be compared with weblogs, a prevalent form of digital life narratives. Third, by looking into the discourses surrounding the game, the paper aims to explain why Dys4ia was designed in this manner and to identify the discursive limits of this design. Thus, the article makes an important contribution to current research on computer games as media of life narration and self-expression.
Source: European Journal of Life Writing
Author: Felix Tenhaef
Institution: Universität Innsbruck
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4412036124