What is art? Since Antiquity, philosophers, critics, and artists have tried to define it. For some, art is the expression of beauty; for others, it is any creation capable of provoking reflection, emotion, or estrangement. In the 20th century, with Duchamp and the concept of “art as gesture,” the possibility arose that works could be not only paintings or sculptures but also experiences, processes, and interactions.
Through this lens, video games enter the discussion: they do not merely present images and sounds but offer inhabitable worlds, malleable narratives, and interactions that engage both aesthetics and critical thought.
Immersion and sensory experiences in video games
Immersion is a key aspect of this experience. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 build vast, detailed, and living worlds. The first, with its dystopian metropolis saturated with neon lights and social inequality, allows players to explore alleys and skyscrapers while navigating morally complex plots.
The second, set in the twilight of the Old West, offers not only breathtaking landscapes but also a sense of presence: the gravel under horse hooves, time slowing during fishing, and weather changes affecting the journey’s mood. This combination of visual, auditory, and interactive aesthetics creates a mode of enjoyment distinct from traditional arts — here, the spectator is also an agent.
Interactive narrative and player freedom
Interactive narrative finds a prime example in Baldur’s Gate 3. Inspired by the Dungeons & Dragons universe, the game combines a well-written plot with player freedom, directly influencing the story’s outcome. It is as if the novel rewrites itself with each decision, creating not a fixed narrative but a constellation of possibilities. This narrative plasticity brings video games closer to literature and improvisational theater, with the added layer of the audience’s real agency.
Another relevant aspect is historical recreation. Series like Assassin’s Creed transform settings such as Renaissance Florence, Revolutionary Paris, or Classical Greece into playable scenarios. Although simplified and dramatized, these recreations allow sensory contact with distant times and places.
Architecture, costumes, languages, and social practices gain body and movement. This approach does not replace historical study but expands historical imagination, allowing players to traverse spaces that exist only as ruins or records.
Video games between art and mass culture
However, criticism is necessary: video games are also products of mass culture. They are created within a billion-dollar industry operating according to market logic, marketing, and accelerated consumption. Even celebrated immersion can be designed to encourage player retention and spending rather than aesthetic reflection.
Moreover, the global circulation of major titles tends to homogenize imaginaries, prioritizing commercially viable aesthetics and narratives over experimental or regional productions. Thus, as in cinema or popular music, there is a constant tension between artistic innovation and commercial standardization.
In summary, video games can be art when they provide complex aesthetic experiences that meaningfully unite visuals, sound, narrative, and interactivity.
Yet, as part of mass culture, they face the same pressures shaping other media, and it is precisely in this tension between creative freedom and industrial logic that one of the richest debates about their artistic status lies.
