Last Day of June: : Work of Mourning and Narrative Effects

Abstract:

This chapter aims at proposing a narrative analysis of Last Day of June, a game in which the plot develops around the experience of grief. The player’s mission is to help Carl retrace June’s last moments of life to prevent her death. The game, produced by Ovosonico, was released by Games365 in 2017. Last day of June is not an example of a serious game; however, it can have pedagogical effects, teaching the sense of life and the value of letting go. Moreover, some narrative choices, such as the near absence of dialogue and the use of intense images, have a specific role in the plot and affect the perception of the player and his/her immersion in the story. Appling narrative models, the chapter offers a point of view on the positive effects of mediated and controlled emotional experiences by using a game as a moratory context in the experience of loss