Date of Publication
8-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Literature
Subject Categories
Film and Media Studies
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department/Unit
Literature, Department of
Thesis Advisor
Jazmin Badong Llana
Defense Panel Chair
Carlos M. Piocos III
Defense Panel Member
David Jonathan Y. Bayot
Antonette Talaue Arogo
Vladimeir Gonzales
Beatrice Lapa
Abstract (English)
This dissertation proposes the concept of ludoperformative worldbuilding: the act of performativity to create unique game worlds by completing a single-player ludonarrative: a video game that combines game and story elements (Chandler and Munday). In the book Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation (2012), author Mark J. P. Wolf posits that while single-player video games allow players to participate in and interact with the virtual world (128), the player lacks authorship that can make permanent changes to the world’s “canon” (270-271) because each copy of the game is only a single instance of the world (281). However, I argue that while ludonarratives are pre-established fictional worlds created by game developers, players are capable of authorship within the world through gameplay, the player’s interaction with the game, resulting in unique worlds that are “canon” to each player.This dissertation also argues that gameplay, and therefore worldbuilding in video games, are performative because they possess characteristics of a performance.
I present ludoperformative worldbuilding as a discursive formation by combining how these are created in Michel Foucault’s The Archaeology of Knowledge, which allows me to build the theory through an appropriation and modification of different concepts from different fields, with systemic thinking that allows me to see these concepts as components of a system. I begin by examining how ludonarratives differ from traditional narratives by examining their unique structure as stylized, simulated worlds, then anchoring them to Neferti Tadiar’s concept of fantasy-production to illustrate how myths and power relationships function within video game worlds and how performativity is able to bring changes in the world. Using J.L. Austin’s performatives, I establish a framework for a video game equivalent called ludoperformative utterances that can be made to create meaningful changes in ludonarratives. I then propose the Player Subcreation System: a theoretical system that functions through looping interactions of interdisciplinary components, namely spaces, agency, identity, and role, to illustrate how ludoperformative worldbuilding takes place. I then use a method I call Critical World-System Analysis to analyze my playthroughs of two ludonarratives; Coffee Talk (2020) and Stray (2024), to see how I am able to build unique worlds within both games. Lastly, this study investigates the canonicity of single-player worlds and the possible applications of ludoperformative worldbuilding in the real world.
Keywords: ludoperformative worldbuilding, ludonarrative, performativity, game studies, performance studies
Abstract Format
html
Abstract (Filipino)
Iminumungkahi ng disertasyong ito ang konseptong ludoperformative worldbuilding: ang paglikha ng mundong walang kapareho sa pamamagitan ng performatibong paglaro at pagkumpleto ng isang single-player ludonarrative: isang uri ng video game na ipinagsasama ang mga elemento ng video game at ng narratibo (Chandler and Murray). Sa kanyang aklat na Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation (2012), ipinagpapalagay ni Mark J.P. Wolf na bagamat pinapayagan ng single-player video game ang manlalaro na lumahok at makipag-ugnayan sa mundong birtuwal (128), ang manlalaro ay walang kakayahang mag-akda na permanenteng makakapagbago ng “kanon” ng mundong ito (270-271) dahil ito ay isa lamang sa maraming kopya ng mundong ito (281). Gayon pa man, katwiran ng disertasyong ito na nauna nang naitatag ng mga game developer, ang manlalaro ay mayroon pa ring kakayahan na mag-akda sa pamamagitan ng gameplay na nagbubunga ng mga mundong walang kaparehas mula sa bawat isang manlalaro. Katwiran din ng disertsyong ito na ang gameplay at worldbuilding sa loob ng video game ay mga uri ng performatibo dahil sila ay nagtataglay ng mga katangian ng pagtatanghal.
Inilalahad ko ang ludoperformative worldbuilding bilang pormasyong diskursibo sa pamamagitan ng pag-ugnay sa pagkakabuo nito sa aklat ni Michel Foucault na The Archaeology of Knowledge, na nagbibigay sa akin ng kakayahan na bumuo ng teorya sa pamamagitan ng paglalaan at pagbabago ng mga iba’t ibang konsepto mula sa iba’t ibang larangan, sa sistematikong pag-iisip na nagbibigay-kakayahan sa akin upang makita ang mga konsepto bilang mga bahagi ng isang sistema. Uumpisahan ko ito sa pagsusuri ng pagkakaiba ng ludonarrative sa tradisyonal na naratibo sa pamamagitan ng pagsusuri ng kakaibang istruktura nito bilang estilisadong, gayang mundo, na nakabatay sa konseptong fantasy-production ni Neferti Tadiar, upang ilarawan kung paano nabubuo ang mito at ugnayang pangkapangyarihan sa mundo ng isang video game, at kung paano ginagamit ang performatibo upang magdala ng pagbabago dito. Gamit ang konsepto ng performatibo ni J.L. Austin, itinatatag ko ang balangkas para sa katumbas nito sa video games na tinatawag kong ludoperformative utterances na maaaring itanghal ng manlalaro upang makagawa ng makabuluhang pagbabago sa ludonarrative. Iminumungkahi ko ang Player Subcreation System: isang teoretikal na sistema na gumagana sa pamamagitan ng paulit-ulit na interaksiyon ng mga sumusunod na interdisiplinariyong bahagi tulad ng espasyo, ahensya, identidad, at papel,upang ilarawan kung paano nagaganap ang ludoperformative worldbuilding. Gagamitin ko ang pamamaraang tinatawag kong Critical World-System Analysis upang suriin ang aking paglalaro ng dalawang ludonarrative: Coffee Talk (2020) at Stray (2024) upang makita kung paano ako makabuo ng mundong walang kaparehas sa parehong laro. Iimbestigahan din ng disertasyong ito ang pagiging “kanon” ng mga mundong single-player at ang mga posibleng aplikasyon ng ludoperformative worldbuilding sa tunay na buhay.
Mga Keyword: ludoperformative worldbuilding, ludonarrative, performatibo, game studies, performance studies
Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Electronic
Keywords
Video games—Design
Recommended Citation
Gungab, P. L. (2026). Ludoperformative worldbuilding: Performativity and subcreation in single-player ludonarratives. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdd_lit/7
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Embargo Period
8-23-2029
