How to be Non-Human : A Thematic Analysis of Animal Embodiment in VR Games

Abstract

This study employs a reflexive thematic analysis to systematically examine the design pat- terns of 48 first-person Virtual reality (VR) animal avatar games. The research identi- fies four primary design themes: Animal Biomimicry, Limited Animal Simulation, Hybrid Human-Animal Features, and Human Behavior with Animal Avatar. The analysis reveals that approximately 77 percent of the games remain grounded in human-centered interaction logic, with animal forms primarily serving as visual representations. The study highlights the core tension between authenticity and usability in current VR animal avatar design, and points toward design opportunities for achieving more authentic animal avatar's interactive experience through directions such as controller innovation, unconventional body mapping, and dynamic feedback. This research provides a thematic classification framework for un- derstanding the representation of non-human perspectives in VR games.