Meditations on a rubber chicken: an affective-cultural analysis of Monkey Island and Lucasfilm Games' humorous puzzles

Abstract

Data de publicació electrònica 01-01-2025

The Secret of Monkey Island (Lucasfilm Games, 1990) is an iconic reference in video game history and popular (digital) culture. The nostalgic fandom and the recent release of Return to Monkey Island (Terrible Toybox, 2022) evidence the impact of the game and how it has endured over time. This article proposes a retrospective analysis of the "structures of feeling" around Monkey Island, Lucasfilm Games, and their humorous puzzles, focusing on their relationships with the social incorporation of PCs and the neoliberal discourse of the late twentieth century, postmodern culture, and the debates around the cultural legitimation/delegitimization of video games. The article applies Affect Theory, as Anable has adapted it to the study of video games, with some specificities and particular emphasis: a retrospective approach, focus on game mechanics (their historical-cultural signification), and attention to paratexts (reviews of game criticism, Ron Gilbert's blog, a book aimed at fans).