Sessiz Oyunlar: Alman Dışavurumculuğun Distopik Oyunlardaki Etkisi-Inside, Little Nightmares, Monochroma

Abstract

As tools of game development become accessible to more people, video games come closer to being an art form, rather than mere entertainment, without losing their entertainment value. Albeit the artistic value of video games has been accepted in time, the word ‘game’ causes people to overlook its relationship with art. The aim of this paper is to focus on this problem by analyzing Little Nightmares, Inside and Monochroma, in the context of German Expressionism as well as other art movements and the silent movie era, and try to explain how these games use art as a means of artistic expression while creating psychological horror and dystopian worlds. Studied games are independent games that are similar both visually and thematically. These aspects determined the boundaries of the study. In this qualitative study, chosen games are analyzed through semiotic analysis. The study showed that expressionist techniques such as distorted images, and strong contrasts in lighting have been used to build the game world and create an uncanny, totalitarian atmosphere; developers took advantage of the silent movie era and cinematic techniques to convey the narrative visually, without using dialogs. Their interactivity and unique mechanics transform art into a medium that can be experienced rather than a spectacle.