Aubrey Anable: Neilly Series Lecture

Aubrey Anable applies affect theory to game studies, arguing that video games let us “rehearse” feelings, states, and emotions that give new tones and textures to our everyday lives and interactions with digital devices. Rather than seeing video games as an escape from reality, Anable demonstrates how they have been intimately tied to our emotional landscape since digital computers emerged.

Her book, Playing with Feelings traces a compelling intellectual history and uses affect theory to rethink some core game studies debates. Aubrey Anable’s insights on casual, indie, and art games are particularly important at this historical moment in game studies.