Abstract:
Where detective narrative in novels, television, and film has flourished, the detective videogame
has proved to be a difficult genre, attracting relatively few proponents. This thesis, entitled Beyond the
Pale, takes account of the medium and the genre, exploring how the recent role-playing game Disco
Elysium utilizes spatial, temporal, and characterization mechanics to create an immersive experience for
players to enact the role of detective. Throughout, this thesis argues for a critical practice that grounds
analysis in Game Studies, but also in literary studies concerning Crime Fiction. By combining Game and
Literary Studies, it recognizes the influence of other media upon the videogame. In arguing for close
reading, this thesis demonstrates the relative lack of critical discussion of detective videogames, and
emphasizes the game-like nature of detective narratives. From understanding what makes playing Disco
Elysium a compelling, immersive experience, the thesis argues that the game exemplifies what a detective
videogame can be and what detective narratives offer audiences: a socially loaded world into which the
player can escape, an intriguing and carefully plotted mystery which can be enjoyed again and again, and
a careful examination of character that invites the player to be a detective.
This project uses a close reading familiar in Literary Studies, sharpened by theoretical
developments in Game Studies. It is not concerned with developing new concepts and a consequential,
new terminology, but rather with being theoretically precise, whilst focusing on a single, arguably
revolutionary, videogame. Correlatively, by providing a close, detailed analysis of a single, exemplary
videogame in the context of current debates on the nature of this most modern medium, Beyond the Pale
seeks to expand appreciation of the complex, multidisciplinary field of Games Studies, in showing how it
accommodates the complex, fascinating demands of the detective videogame.
