The Woke World of Video Games

For my final year dissertation, I chose to take a different approach and write a theoretical analysis concerned with the state of the video games industry, highlighting and contextualising reactionary opinions from a case study in the gaming sphere. Below is the abstract from that dissertation, for which I received a 1st class grade.

Abstract

This dissertation explores the relationship between ideological perceptions of “wokeness” and the reception of video games, focusing on how diversity, inclusion, and representation are framed as threats by reactionary online communities. Using the Steam-based group Woke Content Detectors (WCD) as a case study, this research investigates the tension between grassroots backlash and professional critique. By scraping WCD’s database and comparing it with OpenCritic’s aggregated review scores, this study reveals significant discrepancies in how games are evaluated ideologically versus critically. Through one-way ANOVA testing, visualisations, and discrepancy tables, the data shows that games labelled as “woke” by WCD are often critically well-received suggesting that negative grassroots responses stem less from objective quality and more from cultural anxiety.

Informed by Lauren Berlant’s concept of cruel optimism, this project argues that many players cling to a nostalgic fantasy of apolitical gaming, rooted in whiteness, heteronormativity, and male dominance. When representation challenges this fantasy, even subtly, it is experienced as betrayal or disruption. This emotional attachment is not only evident in player responses but also embedded in industry practices, from passionate exploitation and crunch culture to the commodification of diversity through surface-level DEI gestures.

By combining data analysis with cultural theory and case studies this dissertation positions gaming as both a mirror and a battleground for wider societal struggles. It concludes that the perception of “wokeness” in gaming is less about content and more about power: who gets to create, who gets to be seen, and who feels ownership over the cultural space. As the industry continues to evolve, understanding the ideological forces shaping game reception becomes vital, not only for cultural critique but for the future of inclusive storytelling.

Further Reading

If you would like to read the full dissertation, please contact me using the form on the contact page. I would be happy to send a copy for reading, and discuss any of the ideas portrayed within further.