Time and Space in Video Games
a Cognitive-Formalist Approach

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction -- Brain Time in Virtual Space -- The State Machine and the Present Moment -- Structuring Gametime -- Cause, Effect, and Player-Centric Time -- Iteration in Virtual Space -- Predictive Thinking in Virtual Worlds -- The Groundhog Day Effect -- The Hybrid Narrator -- Through the Temporal Landscape -- The Speed of Time -- Marshmallows and Bullets -- Chekhov’s BFG -- Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- References

Video games are temporal artifacts: They change with time as players interact with them in accordance with rules. In this study, Federico Alvarez Igarzábal investigates the formal aspects of video games that determine how these changes are produced and sequenced. Theories of time perception drawn from the cognitive sciences lay the groundwork for an in-depth analysis of these features, making for a comprehensive account of time in this novel medium. The first book-length study exclusively dedicated to the topic, it is an indispensable resource for game scholars and game developers alike, while its reader-friendly style makes it readily accessible to the interested layperson