Varoluşsal Can Sıkıntısı: Oyun Tasarımına Sartre’cı Bir Yaklaşım

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 13 Sayı: 37, 137 - 160, 30.09.2025

Volkan Davut Mengi

Öz

Varoluşçu felsefe ile bilgisayar oyunu tasarımının kesişim noktasına odaklanan bu çalışmada Jean-Paul Sartre’ın can sıkıntısı kavramını temel alan deneysel bir dijital oyun önerilmektedir. Geleneksel olarak bilgisayar oyunları, anlatı etkileşimi, estetik çekicilik ve dinamik oynanış mekanikleri aracılığıyla oyuncuyu eğlendirmek, uyarmak ve içine çekmek amacıyla tasarlanır. Buna karşılık bu çalışma, felsefi ve sanatsal bir karşı öneri sunmakta; bilinçli biçimde can sıkıntısı ve kopukluk hissi yaratmak üzere tasarlanmış bir oyunu ele almaktadır. Sartre’ın varoluşçuluk üzerine yazılarından -özellikle saçmalık karşısında bir tepki olarak geliştirdiği “bulantı” kavramından- yararlanan bu projede, Existential Therapy adlı bir bilgisayar oyunu geliştirilmiştir. Bu oyunda oyuncular, duygusal durgunluk, anlatının tıkanması ve neredeyse hiç ödül sunmayan oyun yapısıyla birkaç dakika boyunca edilgin bir deneyim yaşar. Makale, bu tür bir oyunun, eğlence amacıyla değil, anlam arayışına yönelik olduğunu ortaya koymayı; daha da önemlisi, video oyunlarının meşru birer sanatsal ve felsefi üretim alanı olabileceğini göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Etkileşimli ögelerin azalması ve rahatsızlık hissinin bilinçli şekilde kabul edilmesi yoluyla, oyun felsefi fikirlerin deneyimlenebileceği ve somutlaştırılabileceği bir araca dönüşmektedir. Bu çalışma, etkileşimi varoluşsal sorgulamanın öznesi olarak kullanan “felsefi oyun tasarımı” alanındaki mevcut tartışmalara katkı sağlamaktadır. Oyuncular, bu oyunda sadece bir hedefe ulaşmaya çalışmak yerine, zamanın, anlamın ve varoluşun özünü düşünmeye davet edilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Varoluşçuluk , Oyun Tasarımı , Felsefe , Bilgisayar Oyunları

Existential Boredom: A Sartrean Approach to Game Design

Öz

This paper investigates the intersection of existential philosophy and video game design by proposing an experimental digital game that simulates Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of boredom. Traditionally, video games are designed to entertain, stimulate, and immerse players through narrative engagement, aesthetic appeal, and dynamic gameplay mechanics. In contrast, this study introduces a philosophical and artistic counterpoint: a game intentionally constructed to induce boredom and disengagement. Utilizing Sartre’s writings on existentialism-specifically his concept of “nausea” as a reaction to absurdity the project creates a desktop game called Existential Therapy, in which players experience prolonged periods of emotional standstill, narrative stagnation, and negligible narrative or game rewards. This paper aims to show that such a game focuses on meaning beyond reason for entertainment and, to a greater extent, demonstrates that video games can serve as legitimate art and philosophical works. Through a lack of engaging game elements and the embrace of discomfort, the game turns into a tool to experience and embody philosophical ideas. This work is a contribution to the already existing discourse on “philosophical game design” which aims to use interactivity as the subject of existential inquiry. Instead ofengaging with the game solely as a goal to achieve, players are invited to con-template the essence of time, meaning, and existence.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Existentialism , Game Design , Philosophy , Video Games

Kaynakça

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