This study introduces the concept of Experiential Ownership as a primary framework for understanding player agency in digital games. Rather than defining agency solely as narrative branching or mechanical freedom, the paper argues that ownership emerges when players internalize and experience their actions as meaningful within the game world. To strengthen the theoretical foundation, the study proposes Ontological Agency as a supporting conceptual layer that explains different planes of agency within interactive systems. Through comparative analysis of three games — The Quarry, Minecraft, and Red Dead Redemption 2 — the paper demonstrates how experiential ownership can manifest through narrative consequence, systemic manipulation, and social-reputation mechanics. The article positions experiential ownership as a designer-enabled but player-determined phenomenon, arguing that developers open structured possibilities while players construct their own path of engagement. This work aims to contribute to game studies by offering a multi-layered framework that bridges narrative theory, systemic design, and player psychology.
Ozcan Kaan (Fri,) studied this question.