04-03-2026
Arturo Encinas, a professor in the School of Communication at Francisco de Vitoria University (UFV), gave a lecture analyzing the anthropological decoy or textual decoy, a key concept for understanding narrative in video games, TV series, and film.
The event took place as part of Game Studies by the Sea, an academic initiative organized by TecnoCampus, a center affiliated with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which focuses on the cultural study of video games.
Professor Arturo Encinas during his lecture
During his presentation, Encinas explained how many works of fiction guide the audience’s interpretation through elements specifically designed to influence their reading. He drew on the theory of the implicit author, developed by Wayne C. Booth and Seymour Chatman, and expanded upon by researchers such as García-Noblejas and Brenes.
In the field of video games, he has linked this perspective to the concept of the implicit designer, which helps us understand how games shape the player's experience without explicitly stating it.
The anthropological decoy consists of an apparent theme that captures the viewer’s initial attention but conceals a deeper meaning. According to Encinas, this device elicits an immediate or superficial interpretation that is transformed only if the viewer actively analyzes the work’s structure and discourse.
The concept first appeared in an academic study focusing on the video game What Remains of Edith Finch, developed by Giant Sparrow. From there, the presentation explored how this technique is used across various media.
Encinas presented a comparative analysis of three works: the video game What Remains of Edith Finch, the 1990s animated series Spider-Man, and the film Jurassic Park, directed by Steven Spielberg. These examples have been explored in academic articles previously published by the professor himself.
The examples demonstrated how contemporary storytelling uses red herrings to guide the viewer toward a more critical and deeper understanding of the messages and structures presented in fiction.
This work is part of the research project “Possible Worlds and Fiction Formats in Animated Series”, reference number UFV2024-10, under the 2024 Call for Research Projects funded by Francisco de Vitoria University.
The research is affiliated with the "Imagination and Possible Worlds" Research Group, part of the UFV School of Communication Sciences, and is part of a line of research on narrative, fiction, and contemporary visual culture.
