Leveraging Thompson’s Motif-Index in Game Studies: An Exploration of Transformation Motifs

Stith Thompson’s Motif-Index of Folk-Literature (1955–1958) has long shaped folklore scholarship yet remains unexplored as a generative resource for game design. This study introduces Thompson’s Motif-Index (TMI) into that context, treating it not as a taxonomic reference but as a structure-agnostic, modular toolkit whose indeterminacy makes it productive for both scholarly analysis and design ideation. Beginning with a survey of all motif categories (A–Z), the study finds Category D (Magic) to be particularly promising; its subcategories are then examined through three exploratory phases: inductive content analysis, selective abduction, and creative abduction. Rather than deducing fixed correspondences, the study proceeds abductively: selective abduction maps motifs onto Adams and Dormans’ (2012) mechanic categories as defeasible hypotheses, while creative abduction generates design propositions that demonstrate the Index’s potential as a generative resource for game design. Each proposition opens a different dimension of the motif’s potential rather than closing it. The study thereby points to a broader research and design agenda, inviting further inquiry into how the TMI’s granular folkloric elements might inform emergent mechanics, narrative depth, and player experience.