Digital games and the category of auteur: The case of Muriel Tramis

Abstract

This article demonstrates how one can distinguish a digital game auteur based on works conceived by Martinican designer Muriel Tramis. Eight games (M.wilo, Freedom, Emmanuelle, Geisha, Fascination, Gobliiins, Lost in Time and Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth) have been selected to extract the characteristic features of Tramis’s contributions. The research results identify four leading features: sophisticated puzzles, subversion of pornography, critique of racism and colonialism and the extensive use of authorial signatures. By engaging with the work of Tramis, the author of this article hopes to spark further academic interest in rediscovering the output of non-canonical (female) designers outside the trans-Pacific circle.