Videogiochi d’intimità digitale in Giappone: una panoramica introduttiva

Within the landscape of Japanese videogame production from its early days (1979) to the present (2022), there is a significant but understudied segment, that of video games oriented towards adult audiences [adaruto gēmu]. These works of interactive software, of varying types and interactivity, are characterized by erotic and/or pornographic content destined towards limited, non-generalist circulation. This study presents an introductory overview of such video games, reframed from adult computer games into ‘character intimacy games’, video games centred around establishing, developing, and fulfilling intimate relationships with fictional characters. Based on the author’s PhD dissertation, this brief contribution introduces an overview of character intimacy games, processes for their ludo-hermeneutics and a single case study