Lucia Novanská Škripcová
ABSTRACT:
This study examines the evolving representation of grief following the death of a loved one in digital games, focusing on the case study of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. While earlier media often simplified and stereotyped grief, recent digital narratives offer more nuanced portrayals. Drawing on psychological models like the Coping Circumplex Model by Stanisławski and Dimensions of Coping Responses by Moos and Holahan, the paper analyses the coping strategies of four key characters, each embodying distinct ways of processing traumatic loss. The analysis highlights a progressive unfolding of grief within a complex, layered narrative that blends real and fictional worlds. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 challenges traditional media stereotypes, with reversed gender roles in parental coping and contrasting narrative endings that emphasize either pathological withdrawal or acceptance and reunion. This research demonstrates how digital games provide unique narrative depth and interactivity, enabling players to engage empathetically with multifaceted emotional experiences. The study contributes to media studies and game studies by showing the potential of digital games as a medium for realistic, complex representations of human emotions, highlighting the importance of thoughtful narrative design in portraying coping strategies and grief.
KEY WORDS:
coping strategies, digital games, emotion representation, grief, narrative.
DOI:
10.34135/actaludologica.2025-8-2.112-125
HOW TO CITE:
Novanská Škripcová, L. (2025). Coping with loss and grief in games: A case study of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Acta Ludologica, 8(2), 112–125. http://doi.org/10.34135/actaludologica.2025-8-2.112-125
Coping with Loss and Grief in Games: A Case Study of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 © 2025 by Lucia Novanská Škripcová is licensed under CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0
