Semester 3 Project: Compiling Research of How Video Games Implement Folk Tales and Fairy Tales into the Narrative, Visuals and Games Design

While folk tales and fairy tales have been able to leave the pages of a children’s book and venture into other visual mediums; video games have become the newest format to retell these tales. 

How do folk tales and fairy tales play a role in video games?

Players can be an active part of the tale as the character experiences a tale unfolding. As another example players can be a passive part of the tale where they simply exist in a world where creatures and customs from said tales are part of everyday life.  

Mechanics and genres also assist as a means for the player to interact with the tale that is woven into the narrative - whether it’s a 3D open world game where the player must actively sort out and fight characters/ creatures from a folk tale or it’s a 2D point and click game where the player passively avoids or appeases the characters/ creatures. 

What happens when it comes to depicting folk tales and fairy tales?

In most cases video games will take the essence of a folk tale or fairy tale and create their own tale e.g. Child of Light. Some games however take direct influence from a folk tale or fairy tale - however this is bound to deviate from the original source. This is due to one of the major game design flaws of a folk tale - an abrupt or short ending.

This is due to the traditional means of these tales being passed around orally among members of a community and their initial purpose was as a warning to heed those who wander the moors at night or to stay away from bogs and rivers. Because of this a game made directly inspired by a folk tale can be difficult to develop if the intention is to have a long game play and replayability. 

When starting this project i had the task of finding the solution to these problems; but in a way the problem solved itself when i noticed the tasks a Hob does in different folk tales mirrored the tasks of an average life/farm simulation game uses as its core gameplay mechanics an amalgamation was formed that seamed the two concepts together perfectly. 

What i think makes a good folk tale game is when you can see the work put into not only accurately depicting the folk tale but the world and time this folk tale was birthed - i feel having that sort of information as a concept artist is a gateway to research that will visually and contextually breathe life into a game.

Research References: 

https://www.tor.com/2016/11/10/fairy-tales-through-gaming-the-ancient-arc-of-modern-storytelling/

https://www.thepunkwriter.com/article/the-folklore-of-video-games-using-narrative-design-to-create-player-agency

https://variety.com/2018/gaming/features/mulaka-mooseman-folk-tales-video-games-1202915228/ 

https://surrealandcreepy.wordpress.com/2021/07/03/the-folkloric-creatures-inspired-by-swiss-carnivals-in-the-pencil-made-horror-game-mundaun/ 

https://surrealandcreepy.wordpress.com/2020/03/01/what-is-lurking-in-the-mysterious-woods-interview-with-acid-wizard-studio-the-creators-of-darkwood/ 

https://surrealandcreepy.wordpress.com/2020/12/14/horror-games-based-on-traditional-asian-folklore/