Fandom influence and gamer agency in jury-rigged games

Abstract

Games are subject to the design of their creators, and in many ways can be seen as narratives to the imagination of the team who developed the game. However, there is another aspect to be considered, in terms of how the player interfaces with the gaming structure. I discuss how jury-rigging can take the form of hardcore play, a type of gaming where the ability to save progress and repeat encounters becomes unavailable, as the player accepts that if the character dies, they must restart the game or limit their uses.