Player choices, game endings and the design of moral dilemmas in games

Moral dilemmas are a staple of narratives in games. Allowing the player to choose and impact a game’s story is an important part of enjoying an interactive narrative. Yet when it comes to how we design and test games with moral dilemmas, there is little written on the subject. From this premise, the Moral Gameplay Taxonomy has been developed. Developed through an examination of 24 games, the taxonomy consists of two dimensions, creating four quadrants, which represent the different types of choices (systemic and scripted) provided to the player, and the style of endings (branching and linear). As this is a preliminary study, further work needs to be undertaken to develop the taxonomy further. It will be a valuable tool for examining how the design of moral dilemmas can affect player perceived agency and enjoyment in games in a research context.