Work

Constructing Ecological Memory in Digital Games: an Analysis of Animal-centered Narratives and Emotional Experience

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The global ecological crisis has intensified the cultural visibility of environmental themes and animal-centered narratives in digital games. This study analyzes how eco-narratives construct ecological memory by comparatively examining Endling: Extinction is Forever and Shelter. Drawing on Steam user reviews and a thematic analysis supported by natural language processing (NLP), the findings reveal that Endling cultivates “instructive empathy” through hope and awareness, while Shelter evokes “ecological mourning” through loss and vulnerability. Across both games, silent narration, atmosphere, and environmental cues emerge as key aesthetic strategies shaping player experience. The results demonstrate that ecological memory is constructed not only through narrative content but also through affective and sensory design. These findings position animal-centered digital games as powerful communicative environments that render ecological loss and responsibility experientially meaningful.

Source: The Turkish Online Journal of Design Art and Communication

DOI: 10.7456/tojdac.1929009

Author: Onur Aşkın

Institution: Doğuş University

Language: Turkish

Topic: Digital Games and Media

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $39