ETEC 565D

Field Note assignment

Summative Synthesis

The game White Nights is an escape design game where the player is a character who believes he has hit
a small girl on a dark street while driving intoxicated, and enters a haunted mansion/property in order to
find assistance. Progress in the game depends upon clues found and tasks performed. The game was
played for approximately 70 minutes, and then an experienced player was observed for approximately
35 minutes until they got to the same point in the game.

Much of the game’s appeal seems to come from its artistic design – noted by both the experienced
player and me. The music, black and white grainy graphics and dark atmosphere lend to its ‘creepy’
dramatic element. The initial objectives were not always clear – perhaps they are more developed as
one advances further in the game.

Gender representation was pointed out more clearly after I had watched the experienced player. The
female character (who is so far represented by letters she leaves behind) is portrayed as demanding,
powerful and controlling. Foreshadowing seems to indicate that there is a murder – perhaps of this
character by her husband; although this isn’t explicitly stated yet at this point in the game, the early
clues (the graveyard, the letter hinting at ‘rage’ from the husband) indicate that the story may develop
along these lines.

Sexuality/Race/ethnicity are not addressed (at least up until this point in the game) except for that the
main character appears to be male and Caucasian. Violence appears at the beginning with the car
accident, and the small hints (foreshadowning previously mentioned) of ‘rage’ in the letters
encountered.

As the game is played, the story develops, and the player progresses by picking up on the patterns of
what to look for – what sorts of things would be useful to search for hints and clues, and learning how to
control movements more easily. Problem solving is necessary to pass through certain points where
specific items or actions are needed to progress.

The experienced player observed progressed more comfortably and quickly, but used many of the same
strategies and actions that I used as an inexperienced player. This game does not need any special skills
to progress, but increased speed and efficiency seems to come with experience.