Choose Your Own Path: Experiencing Decisions with Life is Strange 2

Abstract

In choice-based games, player decisions affect the story, creating branching narratives. This study aims to discuss the cognitive decision-making process in digital choice-based games. A qualitative, exploratory, and instrumental case study was conducted using the game Life is Strange 2. An original copy of the game was used to record observed options and choices. The choices made throughout the game were documented in a database and classified into five categories: choices related to the education and protection of the brother, choices involving escape and survival, moral choices, relational choices, and everyday choices. The data were then analyzed according to Cognitive Psychology, particularly the concepts of judgment and decision-making. It was observed that choice-based games, like Life is Strange 2, are permeated by bidirectional interactions between the player and the main character. Through informal thinking, players connect their experiences with those of the character, shaping both. Choice-based games promote cognitive, social, and emotional development by engaging players in complex decisions that emphasize their role of agency in the world. This highlights the potential of such games in developing new interventions and research avenues.