BLAST HEART and Absurdism, Surrealism and Humour;
How to use these influences in a storyworld.
How to use these influences in a storyworld.
ABSTRACT
BLAST HEART is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) worldbuilding project based on Turkic mythology and modern Turkish daily life. In this dissertation, research was conducted into how Absurdism, Surrealism and Humour were used in the storyworld
of BLAST HEART and can be used in other worldbuilding works. surrealism, absurdism and humour were examined by themselves, as well as with each other. Within each are points of importance that link them to one another that are imperative to combine these
ideologies and styles efficiently. Case studies were conducted of the 2019 video game “Disco Elysium” by ZA/UM Studio and the 2021 Turkish comedy series “Gibi” as prime examples of combining the three key elements. It was found that the main usage of surrealism was to heighten certain concepts to emphasise them, usually for satirical purposes, whereas absurdism and humour were used as a combination where the subversion of expectations provided by the heightened absurdity would in turn create a sense of humour in the audience. Then, after an examination of BLAST HEART, it is also
visible that such methods work well to enhance the overall themes of the storyworld and its immersiveness.
of BLAST HEART and can be used in other worldbuilding works. surrealism, absurdism and humour were examined by themselves, as well as with each other. Within each are points of importance that link them to one another that are imperative to combine these
ideologies and styles efficiently. Case studies were conducted of the 2019 video game “Disco Elysium” by ZA/UM Studio and the 2021 Turkish comedy series “Gibi” as prime examples of combining the three key elements. It was found that the main usage of surrealism was to heighten certain concepts to emphasise them, usually for satirical purposes, whereas absurdism and humour were used as a combination where the subversion of expectations provided by the heightened absurdity would in turn create a sense of humour in the audience. Then, after an examination of BLAST HEART, it is also
visible that such methods work well to enhance the overall themes of the storyworld and its immersiveness.
The full thesis can be found in the downloads section.
