"Giving Back" An Interview with Video Game Designer Ken Wong,by Frank Bosman and Alexander D. Ornella

Abstract

In this interview, conducted by issue editors Frank Bosman and Alexander D. Ornellain August 2022, Ken Wong discusses the relationship between video game design,video game aesthetics, religious imagery, and cultural storytelling. He discusses how(secularized) religious tropes, ideas, and images can become part of the game designand the story of the game, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. Hediscusses how the ideas of “giving back”, atonement, and forgiveness can becomeelements of successful video games.

Keywords

• video games
• atonement
• original sin
• sacred architecture
• religion