2.5 “Let’s All Be Good Mothers OK”: Losing the Badger Cubs in Shelter

Abstract

Shelter (2013) is a 3D adventure game by the Swedish independent game developers Might and Delight, currently available as downloadable title for Windows and Mac OS. It uses a third person perspective to tell the story of a badger mother1 protecting five young cubs while journeying from burrow to burrow. While traversing a serene, yet danger-ridden landscape, she must look after the wellbeing of her offspring, hunt and gather food, navigate wildfires and waterfalls, and escape predators. The danger of these situations is underscored by the use of a permadeath mechanic, which renders the death of a cub or