Regarding the Issue of Implementing Metanarrative in Video Games

Abstract

This article explores how meta-narrative functions in video games as a tool for reflecting on fictionality and interactivity. With the increasing complexity of game storytelling, there is a need for a cohesive theoretical framework to describe these self-reflexive narrative practices. The paper's objective is to trace the development of meta-narrative in the humanities and identify its key techniques in video games. The theoretical section builds on the ideas of J.-F. Lyotard, R. Alter, G. Genette, L. Hutcheon, and W. Wolf, as well as the distinction between metanarration and metafiction proposed by B. Neumann and A. Nünning. The empirical part employs close reading and structural analysis of game texts. A dedicated section examines the experimental study by H. Berger and E. Granqvist, which investigates how combining indexical storytelling with meta-narrative affects players' immersion, narrative interpretation, and self-reflection. The paper argues that integrating meta-narrative into game mechanics enriches the traditional narratological toolkit, deepens the reflective and emotional potential of video games, and complicates rather than disrupts the experience of immersion.