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I've played a lot of games that make fun of tropes and cliches and most of the time, they're not funny.
Porkate42- 04/16/2016 04:44 AM
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CloseThe jokes usually end up just acknowledging that they are tropes and cliches, and that they are overused. I honestly don't find that funny, it's like saying "water is wet." What's the joke?
Not everyone is good at playing off humor in general, and in this particular instance, they don't make it clear as to why it's a cliche' and just don't do anything interesting in general.
It's difficult for a game or a piece of media to be funny in general. Most of the time we laugh at our close friends because their presence in our lives is a lot more real and tangible to us, and thus the minute little details of our everyday interactions fuel that context of bizarreness that induces laughter. For a piece of media to be legitimately funny is a challenge, whether it's about making fun of tropes/cliches or not, because all media is created, and when it's created in a way that isn't immersing, it becomes hard to be invested in the details enough to care about the comedy at hand.
Many games that parody cliches and trends are utilizing humour by reference to other pieces of media. Part of the joy of experiencing parody relies on the references being new or fresh, or utilized in innovative ways. Very many games will reference other material without considering the many dimensions that could be explored about that cliche. Good parodies ensure that their material is understanding of the wide scope of the cliche they are parodying, and try to bring novelty to illuminate what is often the ridiculousness of certain trends, by understanding the great sphere of influences that make this cliche what it is.
That's why a joke may not seem clever or interesting, if it is blissfully unaware of all that has gone before it - it might just reek of ignorance. People's opinions on whether something is funny or not, vary widely, but one thing I am extremely fond of, is when thought and care has gone into a joke to make sure that all the implications of the joke fit in intelligently with the universe that it exists in. That's why certain character moments in media, while they may not be considered a full-on joke by many, are extremely humorous, because they are relatable and intelligently designed with care and attention to detail.
Many games that parody cliches and trends are utilizing humour by reference to other pieces of media. Part of the joy of experiencing parody relies on the references being new or fresh, or utilized in innovative ways. Very many games will reference other material without considering the many dimensions that could be explored about that cliche. Good parodies ensure that their material is understanding of the wide scope of the cliche they are parodying, and try to bring novelty to illuminate what is often the ridiculousness of certain trends, by understanding the great sphere of influences that make this cliche what it is.
That's why a joke may not seem clever or interesting, if it is blissfully unaware of all that has gone before it - it might just reek of ignorance. People's opinions on whether something is funny or not, vary widely, but one thing I am extremely fond of, is when thought and care has gone into a joke to make sure that all the implications of the joke fit in intelligently with the universe that it exists in. That's why certain character moments in media, while they may not be considered a full-on joke by many, are extremely humorous, because they are relatable and intelligently designed with care and attention to detail.
Satire looks easy on paper, but it is truly a difficult thing to get right. With my first major game being a complete satire, even I don't think I did it 100% perfectly.
I find that the best way to subvert a trope or make it self-aware is to make it subtle and weave it into the narrative, rather than tell the player outright "hey, I'm parodying this trope.". Write the material that you are trying to parody as its own unique thing, to give it a sense of identity. If your characters are blurting out things like "Wow, that reminds me of (80s reference)" it comes off as weak writing. The best parodies are ones that give a strong sense of satire, but are also unique enough to stand on their own two feet as independent content.
I find that the best way to subvert a trope or make it self-aware is to make it subtle and weave it into the narrative, rather than tell the player outright "hey, I'm parodying this trope.". Write the material that you are trying to parody as its own unique thing, to give it a sense of identity. If your characters are blurting out things like "Wow, that reminds me of (80s reference)" it comes off as weak writing. The best parodies are ones that give a strong sense of satire, but are also unique enough to stand on their own two feet as independent content.
I prefer when games play tropes and cliche straight, instead of attempting to be coy with them. It gives it the weight of earnestness.
For some reason, this status reminds me that I probably haven't played any of the games made from this event. With one exception, of course.
I know the feeling, Porky. At least some of them can do it right. Dangan Ronpa is very good at parodying tropes if I recall - and in fact that's a major theme in it.
Sooz
They told me I was mad when I said I was going to create a spidertable. Who’s laughing now!!!
5354
I mean, it's not like 90% of any other kind of joke in amateur games is funny.
It probably feels worse with the "meta" jokes because of the sense that the writer's going "SEE HOW CLEVER I AM FOR NOTICING THIS? GET IT??? IT'S A THING THAT HAPPENS IN GAMES!"
And it's like, "Yes, I noticed this, too, when I was like twelve. There have been multiple games since then making these jokes. Perhaps your ability to notice things is not as groundbreaking as you believe?"
It probably feels worse with the "meta" jokes because of the sense that the writer's going "SEE HOW CLEVER I AM FOR NOTICING THIS? GET IT??? IT'S A THING THAT HAPPENS IN GAMES!"
And it's like, "Yes, I noticed this, too, when I was like twelve. There have been multiple games since then making these jokes. Perhaps your ability to notice things is not as groundbreaking as you believe?"
It's a lot easier to make fun of someone else's ideas than to make an earnest effort to come up with your own ideas. These games are often creatively cowardly because the creator is terrified of putting their own ideas out there for others to criticize. It's much more comfortable to hide behind a veil of satire or apathy, to pretend to be better than people who try.
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