The LOST

Ergodic Storytelling in Digital Narratives

Digital narratives push the ergodic principle to its extreme, forcing users to navigate, interact, and actively construct meaning. This chapter compares digital ergodic works (such as video games and interactive fiction) to theatrical and literary ergodicity, considering where theatre falls behind or innovates differently.

Game OVER

Footnotes & References

  • Core Theoretical Foundations:

      • Espen Aarseth – Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature (1997) – The foundational text on ergodic interactivity.

      • Janet Murray – Hamlet on the Holodeck (1997) – How digital narratives reshape storytelling.

      • Lev Manovich – The Language of New Media (2001) – How ergodic principles extend into multimedia storytelling.

  • Critical Debates and Counterarguments:

      • Walter Benjamin – The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction (1935) – Suggests mass interactivity weakens artistic aura.

      • Marie-Laure Ryan – Narrative as Virtual Reality (2001) – Warns that interactivity often disrupts narrative coherence.

      • Marshall McLuhan – Understanding Media (1964) – Explores how new media shifts meaning-making power away from the creator.

  • Empirical Studies & Case Studies:

      • Her Story (2015) – Uses fragmented video interviews for non-linear storytelling.

      • Kentucky Route Zero (2013) – Blends theatrical, literary, and interactive ergodicity.

      • The Stanley Parable (2013) – A critique of navigational freedom and player agency.