Aesthetics, Engagement, and Narration: Temporal Constraint as an Articulator of Ludo-Narrative Time

Mechanics and narrations must be in the appropriate consonance to keep gamers engaged with the game; here is where time structures become crucial. Based on bibliographical revision and empiric observation, this work proposes the idea of temporal constraints as a concrete design variable that allows designers and researchers to measure and analyze how the game systems regulate progression time of players in the game. Temporal constraints are presented as a techno-aesthetic ludo-narrative component of video games; it combines the ludic and narrative aspects of the game. As a result, critical aspects of the new concept are clarified, and future research ideas are outlined.