The intersection of gameplay and story has been widely debated in games scholarship (i.e. the ludology/narratology debate). It has also manifested in concepts used in game discourse (e.g. “ludonarrative dissonance”) and development (e.g. “what is narrative design?”). We propose that goals, as a constituent element of games, is a novel and fruitful nexus point between story and gameplay. We provide an analytical framework that articulates and bridges the relationship between the goal structures in games and their narrative counterparts. This framework is anchored upon what we define as a narrative goal: an interpretation of a ludological goal. We can thus formally account for a narrative goal (e.g. “Rescue the prince”) that requires players to act in a way that satisfies a corresponding game imperative (e.g. Reach- ). Finally, we articulate our work’s foundational relevance to narrative design and associated issues.

Video games can create ethical experiences and encourage ethical reflection in their players. Usually, this potential is understood in the context of the results or consequences of a player's actions and decisions. For example, choosing whether to save some innocent people instead of rescuing a player character's friend or lover. We use virtue ethics as a lens for examining what meaningful choices in games are actually like. We explore these insights by examining The Walking Dead Season 2's choice system as it relates to characterization, Mass Effect 2's binary morality system and its effect on the outcome of the narrative, and Life is Strange's use of player choice as a tool of expression. Although these games have often been criticized for providing inconsequential choices that don't significantly affect the outcome or ending, we argue that-when viewed from a virtue ethics perspective---the choices afforded the player are significant, impactful, and more importantly meaningful. We conclude by outlining future research questions and discussing some challenges and limitations of this perspective.

Game reviews are one of the primary forms of videogame journalism and are also one of the prevalent forms of discourse about games. How can we characterize them and better understand the role they might play in helping create and shape our understanding of games? This article reports on the results of a study that analyzed and deconstructed a selection of game reviews from popular online websites. Our findings show that game reviews are rich and varied in terms of themes and topics covered and that considering them purely as "shopping guides" ignores the broader role they play in the discourse of games. We found that game reviews often include game design suggestions, hypothesize about the intentions and goals of game creators, and offer advice to readers on how to approach and best enjoy particular games. More generally, game reviews can also help preserve videogame history by contextualizing the links and historical connections that exist between games.