New Books in Popular Culture Victor Navarro-Remesal, "Zen and Slow Games" (MIT Press, 2026)
Mar 3, 2026
Víctor Navarro-Remesal, a Barcelona-based media and game scholar, explores slowness and reflectiveness as a stylistic strand in video games. He traces Zen modes from the 2000s and the slow gaming movement of the 2010s. Short, clear takes compare reflective play to action-focused games and highlight designed pauses, attention economies, and calls for broader game studies.
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Reflective Games As A Distinct Style
- Reflective games form a distinct style that prioritizes attention, time techniques, reduced gameplay pressure, and elements of meditation rather than mere relaxation or lack of features.
- Víctor Navarro-Remesal developed "reflectiveness" as an umbrella to unite Zen modes, slow games, and earlier slow practices across gaming history.
Zen Modes Versus Slow Gaming
- Zen modes emerged commercially during the Casual Revolution as in-menu options to lower gameplay demands, while slow gaming later formed a sociopolitical movement critiquing industry practices.
- Zen was co-opted by mindfulness trends; slow gaming tied to the wider Slow Movement and manifestos against crunch and commercialization.
Slowness As Positive Gameplay Mechanics
- Slowness isn't mere absence of challenge; reflective games present positive mechanics like exploration, strategizing, and 'dead time' that demand careful thought.
- Examples include Alto's Adventure's no-score mode and Death Stranding's paced traversal and arrival moments as deliberate meditative design.
