This paper offers an approach to analyzing political rhetoric in videogames intended to carry ideological bias, based on cognitive linguist George Lakoff’s notion of metaphor and frame as the principle organizers or political discourse. I then argue for three ways games function in relation to ideological frames: reinforcement, contestation, and exposition through examples of political games (Tax Invaders), art games (Vigilance 1.0), and commercial games (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas). Secondarily, I offer thoughts on issues likely to arise from the hypothetical adoption of political frame and metaphor as design principles.
['Ian Bogost']
Frame and Metaphor in Political Games