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Cthulhu Mythos, Insights, References - Coggle Diagram
Cthulhu Mythos
Origin and history
The Cthulhu Mythos is a fictional horror universe that was created by H.P. Lovecraft. The first documented piece in this universe was written in 1928 by Lovecraft himself, called The Call of Cthulhu (The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki, n.d.).
Other writers started to write stories, incorporating settings, characters, and other elements from Lovecraft’s work, creating a shared universe of writings (Cthulhu Mythos, n.d.).
Lovecraft did not initially intend on his works being connected to a single mythos, but rather used these characters and elements as vessels to explain his stories and ideas.
It was only after his death, that fellow Lovecraftian writer, August Derleth, began categorising the various characters and settings into one mythos (The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki, n.d.).
The mythos is continued to this day, and writers continue to explore the themes and add new lore to the Cthulhu Mythos (H.P. Lovecraft, 2021).
Ideas and values
The original core idea of the Cthulhu Mythos was the concept of the temporality of humanity. Lovecraft wanted to explore the themes of the unimportance of the human race in context of the entire universe, and how warped our perceptions are that we believe we are the center of activity in the universe (Cthulhu Mythos, n.d.).
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The creatures in the Cthulhu Mythos were neither considered good nor evil as that was relative to the being itself.
It was August Derleth who began to focus on the themes of good and evil within the Cthulhu universe (The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki, n.d.).
The universe is recognised largely for the ideas of cosmic horror, where more powerful entities and beings exist without our knowledge (Oganesyan, 2018).
The Cthulhu mythos is known for its dark and gloomy atmosphere, with grotesque and disturbing creatures that can drive humans insane if witnessed (Cthulhu Mythos, n.d.).
User/target audience
The target audience of the Cthulhu Mythos are individuals that are not only interested in Lovecraftian horror, but also fans of the horror genre in general.
It is aimed towards people who like stories with fear rather than scares (The Escapist, 2011).
The IP also interests those who enjoy a deep and rich lore, with interconnected story lines, characters, settings, and overall themes. It will connect with people who enjoy understanding the intricacies and details of a universe.
. According to Mohrfield (2017), “Lovecraft provides a whole setting, rather than just some stand-alone item”.
It would mainly interest older teens to young adults (16-24), as they are more adapted to the darker and eerie themes presented in the mythos (Sijuade, n.d.).
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Insights
Game genres:
The Cthulhu Mythos, in my research, is based on the elements of horror and includes adventure, intriguing characters, and thought-provoking/challenging ideas, therefore the genres best suited are:
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Bartle’s player-types:
According to my research, the type of players (who enjoy the Cthulhu Mythos) want a straightforward goal but also want the ability to interact with the environment and learn as much about the background as they can (Kumar, Herger & Dam, 2020).
Therefore, the type of players would fall between the Achievers and Explorers and will prefer games with the criteria stated before.
Gaming Motivations:
In my research, these individuals are motivated to play games where they are absorbed into the world and they want to be engrossed in a story where they can connect the dots (understand the lore/mythos) (Wright, 2020).
They want a game where they can explore environments and interact with the world that is unsettling (Todd, 2019), all while following a straightforward goal and completing the game fully.
Therefore, the game must include a rich story, an interactive environment (that allows for discovery) with interesting horror elements, clear goals, and potential rewards for full completion.
Gameplay experience:
The target audience, according to research, will mainly enjoy a psychological/survival horror experience, with roleplaying elements (such as upgrades and customisation) as well as some puzzle elements to challenge them (Roman, 2018).
They want to be able to explore and discover details from an environment that aids in developing the story (Wright, 2020).
Therefore, these elements should be included into the game.
References
Cthulhu Mythos. n.d. Mythos. [online] Available at: https://www.cthulhumythos.org/mythos [Accessed 18 March 2021].Encyclopedia Britannica. 2021. H.P. Lovecraft | Biography, Books, & Facts. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-P-Lovecraft [Accessed 18 March 2021].H.P. Lovecraft. 2021. Popular Culture. [online] Available at: https://www.hplovecraft.com/popcult/ [Accessed 18 March 2021].Kumar, J., Herger, M. and Dam, R., 2020. Bartle’s Player Types for Gamification. [online] The Interaction Design Foundation. Available at: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/bartle-s-player-types-for-gamification [Accessed 19 March 2021].Oganesyan, S., 2018. Why is Lovecraft so important? | H.P. Lovecraft for beginners - Frogwares. [online] Frogwares. Available at: https://frogwares.com/why-is-lovecraft-so-important/ [Accessed 21 March 2021].RPG. 2021. What is the appeal of Cthulhu/Lovecraft in RPGs? [online] Available at: https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/what-is-the-appeal-of-cthulhu-lovecraft-in-rpgs.800706/page-3 [Accessed 21 March 2021].Roman, O., 2021. Why are Lovecraftian horrors so appealing?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-are-Lovecraftian-horrors-so-appealing [Accessed 21 March 2021].Sijuade, T., n.d. Further Research - Horror Genre & Target Audience. [online] Three Men And A Little Lady Productions. Available at: https://threemenandalittlelady.weebly.com/further-research---horror-genre--target-audience.html [Accessed 18 March 2021].The Escapist. 2011. The Escapist : Forums : Off-topic Discussion : What's so great about Cthulhu?. [online] Available at: https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.318938-Whats-so-great-about-Cthulhu?page=3 [Accessed 21 March 2021].The H.P. Lovecraft Wiki. n.d. Cthulhu Mythos. [online] Available at: https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos [Accessed 18 March 2021].Todd, R., 2019. Why should one read The Cthulhu Mythos stories written by anyone but the originator, H.P. Lovecraft?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-should-one-read-The-Cthulhu-Mythos-stories-written-by-anyone-but-the-originator-H-P-Lovecraft [Accessed 21 March 2021].Wright, C., 2020. Why are Lovecraftian horrors so appealing?. [online] Quora. Available at: https://www.quora.com/Why-are-Lovecraftian-horrors-so-appealing [Accessed 21 March 2021].
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