‘Detective — what were you hoping to accomplish?’: Benign Violation as Means of Moral Detection in Disco Elysium

Abstract

‘Benign violation theory’ is a general theory of humour developed by McGraw and Warren. It has been used in game scholarship to explain the mechanics of interactive jokes in puzzle-platformer games and, more specifically, how these jokes contribute to the thematic, narrative and poetic richness of such games. In this paper, I argue that the theory can in fact be applied more widely, not just to the comedic elements of video games but to the ways in which certain types of game enable players to experimentally violate societal norms and taboos, as both a route to meaning and a tool of moral investigation. Using the 2019 role-playing game Disco Elysium as my primary example, I examine how the role of player agency in overstepping boundaries impacts upon a game’s cohesion as an expressive artefact, with the resulting volatility widening opportunities for personal growth and reflection on the part of the player.