
Magic Systems in Theory and Practice ◾ 17
sometimes referred to as the rst gestural interface, in part because a later
patch enabled players to control gestures with a P5 Virtual Reality glove,
adding another level of physical immersion. Figure2.6 shows gestural
casting in Black & White.
2.7 RITUALS AS PUZZLES
At its heart, game magic as represented in games like Black & White and
Eternal Darkness is a puzzle. A puzzle, broadly conceived, is a cognitive
challenge—anything that, in the terms of game designer Jesse Schell—
causes the player to “stop and think” (208). In order to evoke the experi-
ence of a magician wielding an arcane art, ga ...