Embody Kin with Games: Redefining Player-Game Relationships through Kinship Embodiment

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of kinship embodiment, a multifaceted relationship between players and a game's virtual assemblage, where components such as avatars, NPCs, environments, and narrative devices dynamically interact to create a cohesive experience. Drawing on philosophical frameworks like dualism and animism, and incorporating perspectives from queer and Indigenous studies, the paper positions kinship embodiment as a new model for evaluating player-game relationships. Through a close-play analysis of Hollow Knight, the study demonstrates how the game balances immersive and outmersive elements, fostering an emotional bond that transcends established binaries. The metaphor of a molecule within a substance highlights how the interaction between player and game fluctuates, maintaining a critical yet intimate distance. By expanding the vocabulary of game studies, this research proposes kinship embodiment as a framework to assess games not just for their immersive and outmersive qualities but for their ability to cultivate a participatory and relational connection with players.