Project Eucalyptus
The Extensions of Creation
The Role of Generative AI & Narrative Design Tools for Social, Political, and Cultural Representation in Indie Game Development
November 1, 2024
Proposed Thesis Topic
This thesis explores the creative process of independent (indie) game developers, exploring how they leverage generative AI and other narrative design tools to address pressing social, political, and cultural issues. By examining both cutting-edge generative AI tools and more conventional technologies such as Unity, Unreal, Twine, and Ink, this study aims to unravel the impact of these tools on storytelling in indie games, particularly when tackling complex themes like identity, mental health, and social justice.
Digital Extensions of Creative Practice
Guided by Practice Theory (Bourdieu 1972) and Extended Mind Theory (Clark and Chalmers 1998), this research will investigate the evolving relationship between developers and narrative tools. These tools aren’t just mere implements; they extend developers’ cognitive and creative processes, acting as co-creators in the narrative design of their games. By assisting with dialogue generation, branching storylines, and procedural world-building, these tools enable developers to push storytelling boundaries while preserving their distinctive cultural voice in the indie game landscape. This thesis examines the intersection of human creativity, generative AI, and narrative design tools in indie game development, contributing to a deeper understanding of how digital tools serve as both extensions of ourselves and catalysts for cultural representation in interactive storytelling.
Narrative Tools for Cultural Change
Additionally, the thesis will explore how indie game developers use narrative design to address relevant social, political, and cultural issues. Drawing upon Csikszentmihalyi’s Systems Model of Creativity (2014), the thesis will examine how the individual (i.e. the developer), the field (i.e. community of players, critics, and developers), and the domain (i.e. the sub-culture of knowledge and rules including the players who consume the games) interact to shape the creative process. Furthermore, Practice Theory will be employed to better understand how the daily routines and activities of developers are undergoing transformations as generative AI integrates into the narrative design of games. This integration will be examined to understand its impact on developers’ creative autonomy and the types of narratives they produce. Lastly, Actor-Network Theory (ANT) will be utilized to map the interactions between human and non-human actors (developers, AI tools, game engines, and distribution platforms) in the creation of indie games (Latour 1987). The research will focus on how each actor within these creative networks influences the cultural narratives and social issues explored in indie games.
Rationale for the Proposed Research
The rationale for this research centers on the rapid evolution of generative AI and digital tools in the creative industries, and the unique ways they are reshaping narrative design and cultural expression—especially in indie game development. By focusing on this field, the study highlights the transformative role of technology in expanding both the cognitive and cultural dimensions of storytelling—contributing to ongoing discussions about the future of creativity in the era of AI tools.
Digital Anthropology and Media Studies
This research fills a gap at the intersection of anthropology, game studies, and technology by focusing on the lived experiences of indie game developers as they engage with generative AI. By documenting the routines, challenges, and cultural implications of using these tools, this study provides an ethnographic perspective on digital creativity. It offers an original contribution to understanding how digital tools are integrated into creative practices, shaping not only the content but also the cultural significance of indie games.
Extending Human Creativity through Digital Tools
Drawing on Extended Mind Theory, this research explores how narrative tools and generative AI function as extensions of the developers’ cognitive and creative processes. As these tools become more sophisticated, they allow for greater innovation in storytelling, but also blur the lines between humans and AI-generated creativity. This study will contribute to our understanding of how developers experience these tools as “extensions of self” in the creative process, enhancing the discussions in digital anthropology, creativity and media studies.
Emergence of Generative AI in Creative Fields
Generative AI is transforming the creative landscape, enabling new methods of storytelling and content generation across media. In indie game development specifically, AI tools like GPT-4o, procedural generation game engines, and narrative design software allow developers to produce complex storylines more quickly and efficiently. However, these tools also raise questions about creative autonomy of the developers and other ethical considerations—in particular when addressing sensitive social, political, and cultural issues. This research seeks to understand how indie developers navigate these complexities, exploring generative AI’s role as both an enabler and influencer of narrative choices.
Indie Games as Platforms for Social and Cultural Engagement
Indie games often engage in themes that may be marginalized in mainstream media—including issues of identity, social justice, mental health, and cultural representation. The flexibility and freedom due to the accessibility of modern tools within the indie community make it an ideal space for investigating how developers use such tools to reflect their diverse cultural perspectives. This study will provide insights into how developers integrate generative AI into narratives that address such issues—offering a valuable perspective on the potential of indie games as vehicles for social commentary and social change.
Proposed Research Methodology
The research will involve semi-structured interviews with indie developers, participant observation in online communities or game development events, and analyses of workflows and actor networks, and interactions. By examining how narrative design tools influence developers’ creative decisions, the thesis will highlight the role of technology in shaping storytelling within the indie game industry. The study aims to provide an ethnographic account of the daily practices of indie developers, documenting how tools are integrated into their workflows and how these tools extend their cognitive and creative capacities. This approach will offer insights into the relationship between digital tools and human creativity in the context of indie game development—illustrating how technology extends human creativity while empowering developers to express their cultural and personal narratives through games.
Types of Evidence
Proposed Research Methodology:
Semi-Structured Interviews: Target developers who are actively engaged in narrative design and use tools like Unity, Twine, Steam, or Ink. Focus questions on their interaction with tools, creative processes, and challenges with technology.
Participant Observation: Participate in developer forums, attend game jams (either virtually or in-person), and observe developers in their workspace as they interact with narrative design tools.
Tool Documentation: Document how developers use tools—what tools they rely on, how they integrate them into their workflow, and any challenges or affordances these tools provide.
Workflow Analysis: Look at how developers structure their creative processes, from initial ideas to final game narratives, and how the tools they use shape decision-making.
Proposed Field Sites
Online Communities: Focus on spaces like Reddit (r/IndieDev) or Discord communities centered on game development. These platforms allow for participant observation and interviews.
Small Indie Studios: Focus on 1-2 small indie studios known for narrative-driven games
Individual Indie Developers: Interview individual developers who specialize in narrative design, particularly those who work individually or in small teams.
Brief Literature Review
Across many different fields, researchers have delved into the societal impacts of game consumption and the intricate processes of game production. In the study of game production, while most studies focus on large studio development environments (e.g., Banks 2011; O’Donnell 2014; Panourgias, Nandhakumar, and Scarbrough 2014; Whitson 2020; Freeman and McNeese 2019), the emergence of indie games has prompted scholars to examine the indie developer community. They analyze the dynamics of power dynamics between developers and other social groups and institutions (e.g., Phillips 2015; Styhre 2020; Harvey and Fisher 2013; Parker, Whitson, and Simon 2018) and the socio-material nature of game development (e.g., Clarke 2020, 123-39; Colby and Colby 2019; Juul 2019). Additionally, Phillips (2015) explored the role of intellectual property rights, policies, and regulations in independent game production. Similarly, Parker et al. (2018) investigated the power dynamics between industry groups organizing conferences and independent developers.
In addition, a few studies have attempted to describe the creative processes of indie developers. For example, Freeman and McNeese (2019) observed how the internet had catalyzed a more distributed and participatory model for creativity within small independent development teams. Similarly, Styhre (2020, 79-104) examined the passion and meaning behind the work of independent developers as part of a larger organizational study. Despite the limited number of studies that describe creative processes within the indie community, they are often based on short interviews and presented as case studies (e.g. Clarke 2020). Lastly, while researchers have explored the affects of generative AI tools on game development (Ho 2024; Chia 2022; Riedl and Bulitko 2013), the affects of such tools on indie game development is limited.
Research Questions
Primary Research Questions
How do indie game developers use generative AI and other narrative design tools to create stories that address social, political, and cultural issues?
How do narrative design tools, including generative AI, serve as extensions of developers’ cognitive and creative processes in game development?
What role do generative AI tools play in influencing the creative practices and decision-making processes of indie game developers?
Digital Tools as Extensions of Creativity
How do developers experience a sense of cognitive extension or embodiment with their narrative design tools (e.g. computers, design and engineering software)?
How does the availability of digital tools influence the creative choices developers make in game narrative and storytelling?
To what extent do developers view narrative design tools as collaborators or co-creators in the storytelling process?
How do developers’ interactions with these tools reflect or alter their approaches to social and cultural representation?
How does the use of generative AI and other tools change developers’ perceptions of their own creative capabilities?
In what ways do developers experience generative AI as an extension of their thought processes, particularly in narrative ideation and iteration?
Generative AI in Narrative Design of Games
How do developers perceive the impact of generative AI on their creative autonomy and control over the narrative design?
In what ways does generative AI enable or constrain developers in representing complex social and cultural themes?
What are the benefits and limitations of using generative AI in storytelling compared to more traditional narrative tools?
Practice Theory & Daily Creative Practices
How do the daily practices and routines of indie developers incorporate and adapt to generative AI tools?
In what ways do developers’ creative workflows evolve as they integrate generative AI into their practice?
How do developers adapt their creative practices in response to the affordances and constraints of specific narrative design tools?
Cultural & Social Representation in Games
How do narrative design tools influence the ways in which developers approach social, political, and cultural themes?
How do players and the developer community respond to narratives that address complex social themes?
In what ways does the integration of generative AI shape or challenge conventional narratives on identity, justice, and social issues in games?
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