The symbolic labyrinth in the mythogame: The axes minos-daedalus and theseus-minotaur in the contemporary video game

Abstract

This research is based on the mythical stories that develop the concept of the labyrinth, both as a physical structure and as a symbolic and psychological space, in its application to contemporary video games. Through the stories of Daedalus, Minos, Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur we analyse, on the one hand, the physical use of the labyrinth as a game structure and, on the other hand, the symbolic design of the mythems in the mythogame. From the symbolic dimension we establish a double axis of analysis: the axis of the relationship between creation and power represented by Daedalus and Minos and, on the other hand, the relationship between the hero and the challenge exemplified in the case of Theseus and the Minotaur. Finally, we make a vindication of Ariadne’s thread as a metaphor derived from the labyrinths without challenge and with a single path through the genre of walking simulators.