AIQS Workbook 2026 FALL (4:15 Section)!

The Use of Labyrinth

1. These violence-hub stories do not have a single solution like the adventure maze or a refusal of resolution like the postmodern stories; instead, they combine a clear sense of story structure with a multiplicity of meaningful plots. The navigation of the labyrinth is like pacing the floor; a physical manifestation of the effort to come to terms with the trauma, it represents the mind's repeated efforts to keep returning to a shocking event in an effort to absorb it and, finally, get past it. (Murray, page 136)

As Murray discuses anxiety within a game, she states that having a complex game combines small plot points with larger ones while maintaining a clear overarching story. The player sometimes has to go backwards to progress forward and understand the game, which mirrors how trauma requires repeated reflection to overcome (136).

In Gone Home, small details about family members revealed through letters and cassette tapes contribute to finding out what happened to Sam while also giving background context. The player has to go back to rooms they previously explored to understand Sam's experiences, which is the main goal of the game. 

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