The mechanics of evil: The ludic imaginary and the archetypes of horror in the representation of victims, law enforcement and serial killers in Until Dawn, Heavy Rain and Ravenous Devils

The present article examines the interactive representation of serial killers, victims and law enforcement in video games, focusing on three case studies: Until Dawn , Heavy Rain and Ravenous Devils . Through a textual analysis, we explore how these games reinterpret traditional narrative archetypes through their ludic language. Until Dawn showcases the perspective of the victim in an interactive slasher, Heavy Rain delves into the tormented detective of the neo-noir and Ravenous Devils transforms the killer into a capitalist entrepreneur. The study highlights the ability of the video game medium to explore moral and systemic complexities, remediating film and literary conventions while developing its own aesthetics and mechanics. The results underscore interactivity as a key element to understand the cultural fascination with serial killers and fictional representations of them.