“Breaking the Fairy Tale”: Narrative Transgression in the Video Game Cinders

Abstract: This article explores how the mechanics of game play interact with the narrative expectations of the fairy-tale genre in the 2012 video game Cinders , from indie studio Moa Cube. The narrative of Cinderella retold in the game centers the title character’s agency and transgression as players move through the familiar tale and make choices about how Cinders should act and react. I argue that the game’s focus on agency as a theme is mirrored in its structure as a visual novel that calls on players to make the fairy tale their own and in the game mechanics that give players choices.