The Role of Interactive Narrative in Transmitting Responsible Values: A Case Study of the Video Game Never Alone

Author

Assistant Professor in Department of Media Arts, Religion and Media Faculty, IRIB University, Qom, Iran

10.22081/jare.2025.70513.1987

Abstract

In recent decades, interactive digital media, especially video games, have emerged as innovative tools in the process of moral education and the indirect transmission of social values. Among these, interactive narrative, as a unique structure in which the audience is the active agent of the story, plays a significant role in the internalization of ethical concepts. This study aims to explore the capacity of interactive narrative in conveying responsible values through an analytical-interpretive examination of the video game Never Alone as a cultural text embedded with moral features. The methodology is qualitative and interpretive in nature, and data analysis is based on a conceptual framework of responsible values, including responsibility, cooperation, empathy, loyalty, cultural respect, environmental protection, and accountability. The findings indicate that Never Alone, through its multilayered narrative structure, meaningful moral choices, and consequential outcomes, embeds ethical virtues within the player’s interactive experience. Rather than relying on direct instruction, the game engages players affectively and participatorily, guiding them through emotional encounters and ethical consequences that effectively communicate moral and responsible values. This study positions interactive narrative as a powerful medium for fostering moral development among its intended audience and underscores the theoretical and practical importance of designing value-oriented narratives within digital games.

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 19 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 20 July 2025

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