Abstract
In many video games where the player assumes the role of a detective, gameplay often focuses more on advancing an established narrative rather than allowing the player to perform as a detective. To empower the player with control over the investigation, the narrative structure must be supported by a system that enables the player to follow her own curiosity. Shadows of Doubt (2023) introduces an innovative approach to the genre by entrusting the investigative and deductive work entirely to the player, offering a high degree of agency within a fully simulated, procedurally generated environment. This short paper presents an analysis of Shadows of Doubt that proposes a solution to enhance player agency.
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Notes
- 1.
Game footage: https://youtu.be/Fj3avvaDEtE?si=GzZpXaqrTuUkwhoc.
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Feng, P., Rojas-Salazar, A. (2025). Designing Agency in Detective Video Games: An Analysis of Shadows of Doubt (2023). In: Murray, J.T., Reyes, M.C. (eds) Interactive Storytelling. ICIDS 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15467. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78453-8_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78453-8_9
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