Return of The Obra Dinn broadened my perspective on puzzle and mystery games. The main cause of this is that it isn’t a regular “look for clues on the ship” kind of game. It not only has unique stylistic game design choices but also requires the player to be more immersed in the plot/storyline. At some points, I was jotting down names and notes as they appeared on my screen to make use of them in the future when identifying the fate of the crew members. In this sense, I have come to realize that puzzle games like Return of The Obra Dinn have a close relationship with the concept behind data science.
As a data science major myself, I compared my behavior when playing Return of The Obra Dinn and when solving data science practice problems. The objective of the game is to connect dots, collect evidence that I am given, and combine them to ultimately make a conclusion. Meanwhile, the goal of data science is to collect different data points, combine them to make a relationship and conclusion through them. See the similarity? You create some sort of meaning or solve an issue by collecting data on certain incidents to make a conclusion.
In a broader sense, I believe that you have to work with data in any game you play. I will say that such data is not as concrete and physical present as in Return of The Obra Dinn for they appear through experience. One example is Super Mario Bros. You are able to collect data on where and when to jump over holes in the game, when to jump for power ups, and how to deal with goombas by continuously replaying the game. Another example could be FIFA. You may get tackled by the defender and lose possession of the ball on your first try. However, through experience you are able to attain a sense on how to avoid losing possession of the ball, whether it is through passing the ball away to another teammate or performing a skill move to maneuver around the defender. Taking such thoughts into consideration, I have found that most games require the player to work with data of any form to become better at the game or to ultimately achieve an objective.
On a personal level, I found Return of The Obra Dinn to be the most interesting and fun game that was assigned in the first 3 weeks of the quarter.
Your analysis of data reminds me of some discussions in media theory. Humans can be seen as systems constantly processing information, or “signs” of the environment. The system then generates meanings and responds to the signals. Games, being an inherently interactive form of medium, may be the most naturally suited for us, as it actively promotes the communication between our minds and external systems.