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To talk to the monsters, you need to wade through the SLIME: Setting, Lead, Influence, Mission, and Enemy.
Every game covered on this blog will be put through the SLIME. Not only does this mean that every subject will get all of its major component parts examined for deeper meaning, but it also means that the analysis is repeatable. Anyone can take this method and apply it to any game to search for its messages and philosophies.
To better understand how I’ll be putting it to use and to provide some of the important questions you’ll need to answer to use this method yourself, let’s delve deeper into the SLIME:
SETTING
What is the setting? Where does the game take place? What is the environment like? Is it familiar? Alien? Welcoming? Hostile?
LEAD
Who is the lead character, the one that the player embodies? Do they have a personality or history beyond the player? Are they a hero? An antihero? Are they even the most important figure in the narrative?
INFLUENCE
How can the player influence the world? What is their agency? What tools are available to the player or protagonist? What is the nature of the game’s interactivity?
MISSION
What is the player or protagonist’s mission? What is the goal that you’re trying to accomplish? Is there an item you need to get? A location you need to reach? A mystery you need to solve? An enemy you need to eliminate?
ENEMY
Who is the enemy trying to prevent you from accomplishing your mission? What are their motivations? Are they a single figure? A larger mob? Are they truly evil? How do you contend with them? Must you kill them? Can you elude, convince, or outwit them?