Project Introduction
The practice of oral transfer of folk stories has become obsolete due to the big forces of globalization and technological advancements. Nowadays, the common belief is that folktales are primarily for children, and the most popular medium of folk stories are books, which have significantly lost in popularity. The challenge is to imagine an interactive medium encouraging the practice of storytelling, so that the art of storytelling can be revived, and earn a place in contemporary culture.
Hypothesis
The loss of oral tradition in Armenia has resulted in a lack of knowledge and understanding of this tradition among the local youth. Therefore, turning their symbolic language into an interactive and visual format would be effective in cultivating their curiosity, stimulating engagement, and contributing to the evolution of this cultural tradition.
Goals
1. Continue the tradition of oral cultural heritage transmission by promoting the creative act of story creation and storytelling
2. Facilitate the process through an engaging interactive medium (in this instance a game)
3. Promote social interaction and play
Research Question
How might the thematic analysis and visual exploration of symbolic language found in Armenian folktales inspire a narrative-driven game aimed at revitalizing the oral tradition through contemporary means?
Aims
- Design a narrative-driven game with visual language based on found archetypes and symbolism from folktales
- Enable a Participatory co-creative story-crafting experience and empower creative thought and imagination
Audience
- Young adults and adults on the younger side: ca. 18-30 years old
- Have some prior knowledge of Armenian folktales
- Interested in mythology and/or fantastical literature
- Like playing narrative-driven tabletop games
Some of whom are:
- Artists, writers: who like to use tools that inspire creativity
Project Objectives
1. Illustrations: Visualize Armenian archetypal characters and symbolism observed in folk tales
2. Game Instructions: Make up rules of the game that would allow collaborative story creation
3. Process Of Making: Choose a technique to produce the game that is reflective of the tales
Gameplay
The main rule of the game is to create stories by connecting the tiles with each other. The premise is to tell the story of the hero while aiming to either help or distract him. This idea of either being the good guy or the bad guy came from my initial idea of integrating the archetypes of the hero characters from Armenian folktales into the gameplay mechanics. In this case, the good guy bears the archetype of the innocent child, while the bad guy is the trickster.
This was the practical part of my Masters thesis. To view the theoretical written part's design, please visit here.
Show some appreciation for all this hard work! ❤️
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