The Assassin Sisterhood : A feminist analysis of the ludic design in the video game Assassin’s Creed Shadows and the character Naoe

This thesis aims to critically analyse how femininity is represented in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Ubisoft, 2025) through the ludic design of the character, the game world, and the gameplay activities. The research departs from the assumption that game mechanics and rules carry discursive meaning that has the potential to both reproduce and challenge gender norms and therefore are important to analyse. By drawing on a post-structuralist analytical framework with theories of representation and discourses, gender performativity, and play, the study thus analyses the underlying design which shapes the gameplay. The thesis utilises close reading as method and Pérez Latorre´s analysis model to guide the research to answer three questions regarding ludic design and gender. The findings conclude that while feminine-coded behaviours and characteristics are embedded in the ludic design, they are not devalued but rather reframed as strengths. Assassin’s Creed Shadows thus offer a nuanced representation of femininity, which simultaneously reinforces, challenges, and redefines gender norms.