NOSTOS
One of the strongest prevailing themes in Homer’s literary works is that of kleos and nostos. Kleos is the Greek concept of “glory”, “fame”, or “renown”. It’s a mark of worth, the desire of every individual seeking to become immortal through bloodlines and legends. This idea is at the core of the Iliad, with Odysseus and his fellow Greek soldiers seeking to attain kleos in the Trojan War. The Odyssey, on the other hand, depicts the nostos, or homecoming, of Odysseus in the years following the war.
Each of the dual works remains beautiful and compelling in its own right, but together they add another layer to the overarching narrative and theme. The Iliad and the Odyssey, or symbolically, kleos and nostos, represent an almost opposing pair of ideas. The former encourages adventure, conflict, and sacrifice, all in the name of glory. Odysseus feels compelled to attach great and fantastic deeds to his name, even at the risk of death. Whether it’s his participation in the Trojan War, taunting the cyclops Polyphemus, or listening to the song of the sirens, Odysseus initially appears to prioritize kleos above all else. Meanwhile, after an extended stay with Calypso in the Odyssey, Odysseus begins to value his family and home above his honor, exchanging kleos for nostos. After this point, even humiliating himself by hiding his name and disguising as an old, ugly beggar is inconsequential in Odysseus’ efforts to complete his nostos. This is a pivotal transition that separates the two works thematically while also uniting them as a cohesive development of character and values.
Of all the themes in the Odyssey, I find the duality of kleos and nostos to be the most compelling and at the absolute heart of Homer’s poetic works. When envisioning a final game project to encompass the Odyssey as a whole, my thoughts kept drifting back to this theme. I decided to embrace it, setting it at the core of my game design. Thinking of a particular scene or event to best communicate my ideas, I searched for what I considered to be the “peak” of Odysseus’ transition, the moment he begins to desire nostos over kleos. From my reading of the epic, I thought this moment to be sometime during his seven year stay in Ogygia with Calypso. It was at this time that Odysseus had already witnessed the utter destruction of his ship and crew, due in part to a series of events that often included acts of pride and arrogance among the sailors. However, it’s also before Odysseus begins his final journey home to Ithaca, forsaking glory in his efforts to return to his family and kingdom.
My game, titled Nostos, explores this pivotal moment in Odysseus’ development. While not explicitly described in the original poem itself, I have created an abstract dreamworld that Odysseus endures whilst sleeping as a prisoner of Calypso. Here, he undergoes a transformation, realizing he values nostos over kleos. This transition occurs over three “stages”, each having their own meaning and purpose.
Nostos is the final work in the suite of Odyssey games I developed for my Game Design course at the University of Arkansas. To accompany the game, I submitted a paper (below) explaining the design and meanings behind the game.

Please note that as an assignment, the project was designed to fulfill certain requirements related to material and content. In particular, I was challenged to develop a game that depicted a particular scene or event from the Odyssey that included both action and puzzle elements in addition to custom model assets, landscapes, and code. The paper was to be of a certain length with an explication of the game design, an analysis of Homer's themes, and an identification of several "lenses" from Jesse Schell's The Art of Game Design.
The Core of the Odyssey
Stage One: The Fight for Kleos
Gameplay
The game begins in a surreal fantasy landscape, with the player as Odysseus himself standing in a pool of water within an enormous bowl floating in the middle of an empty, dreary space. Other bowls can be seen suspended in midair, overflowing with water that spills into the basins of other bowl structures. The still water within the bowls contrasts with the energy of the surrounding waterfalls, creating an atmospheric sense of unease while also symbolically representing the dual ideas of fiery kleos and calming nostos. The user interface also displays two empty bars displaying the words “KLEOS” and “NOSTOS”, immediately communicating to the player what this game is about.
Soon after the game starts, a large Trojan horse begins to emerge from beneath the water, seemingly alive as it moves towards the player. However, it will not attack the player. Rather, players will take note of the sword in Odysseus’ hand and attack the Trojan horse, causing it to “bleed” Greek soldiers that will proceed to charge at Odysseus and attack him (although they deal no damage). The player will instinctively cut down the enemies, increasing the kleos meter. With this “reinforcement” that fighting the soldiers is the “right” thing to do, players will continue to build kleos by killing Greeks and cutting the Trojan horse enough so that it will bleed even more enemies.
Explanation
In the final moments of the first stage, Poseidon will appear, hovering near the platform without any sign of malice. The player, in an arrogance brought on by their size and strength, will almost certainly attack Poseidon, believing they can overcome even a god. Like Odysseus, this audacity will result in punishment as the player is struck back and shrunk. Once again, it is never even remotely suggested that the player should attack the god, and the game is designed to take advantage of the player’s natural feelings and gaming instincts so that their (hopeful) repentance will hit home at a deeper, more personal level.
Ultimately, the player will realize that their actions were “wrong”, that, like Odysseus discovers himself, the path to acquiring kleos comes with an arrogance that brings about pain and suffering. The player takes for granted that building kleos through conflict and pride will bring success, when it will ultimately lead to one’s downfall.
Stage Two: The Release of Kleos
If the first stage was about building kleos, the second stage is about releasing it. After being knocked back by Poseidon, a worldly terrain rises from the bowl platform. Populated by NPCs from Odysseus’ past, the player must deal with each “situation” to lower Odysseus’ kleos. This is initially communicated to the player through Circe, the first NPC that player will encounter.
The first puzzle involves helping Helios, the sun god, find his missing cattle scattered around the landscape. By simply finding and touching each cow, Odysseus will “save” it, and Helios will be satisfied once all have been rounded up.
Within a cave dwell several sirens that will provide Odysseus with soothing words. A nearby switch will close the entrance to the cave, blocking the singing of the sirens from Odysseus’ ears. However, the switch is pressure-activated and requires a heavy item to be placed on top of it. Circe initially provides Odysseus with a silver bowl, a “spoil from the Trojan War”. Pushing the bowl onto the switch will ensure the sirens remain locked away.
Gameplay
Explanation
After the first stage has (hopefully) communicated to the player that kleos is not exactly what they need, the challenge is to somehow “get rid of it”. This is accomplished through abstract representations of several key events in the Odyssey that reflected Odysseus’ pride or desire. By going back and rectifying each situation, it symbolizes that Odysseus is absolving himself of kleos attained from each of those scenarios, suggesting that he is willing to forego glory for an opportunity to acquire nostos.
Helios was wronged by the actions of Odysseus’ crew when they thought they could cross a god by consuming his sacred cattle. By “saving” the sacred beasts rather than “consuming” them, Odysseus atones for the sins of his crew.
The song of the sirens symbolizes desire, and by sealing away their singing Odysseus demonstrates that he will no longer give in to earthly temptations, even those that would bring him fame and renown. This is emphasized even more by the Trojan spoil that Odysseus is required to sacrifice, proving that he is willing to give up personal wealth (a “desire” and “temptation”) on the path to nostos.
Perhaps the most significant act of arrogance Odysseus committed was in his telling Polyphemus his name. This single event led to many of Odysseus’ troubles, and it directly represents kleos in its purest form. By slaying the clones proclaiming responsibility for the actions against Polyphemus, Odysseus establishes that he no longer desires the credit, i.e. kleos, associated with this event since it has brought him so much pain and stood in the way of his nostos.
After relinquishing the last of Odysseus’ kleos, the player can begin to finally build up their nostos resource to complete the game.
Stage Three: The Realization of Nostos
The final stage begins with the terrain of the second stage sinking back into the bowl, returning the game to its original environment. Poseidon will reappear, holding Telemachus and Penelope hostage in front of him. The player is challenged to race to save them while Poseidon fights to keep Odysseus at bay.
The third stage introduces a “slowing” effect that makes it more difficult for Odysseus to move. Not only does this underline the dreamlike nature of the game, but it makes Poseidon’s attacks more difficult to avoid and gives their movement/spatial qualities more contextual meaning.
Poseidon’s primary attack is a wave of water that will rush across the bowl, pushing Odysseus backwards if it comes into contact with the player.
The sea god can also conjure up “Aeolus Gusts” that will kick Odysseus straight up into the air if it touches the player.
Finally, “Charybdis Whirlpools” can be summoned by Poseidon. The slowest moving of Poseidon’s attacks, these whirlpools will greatly reduce Odysseus’ movement speed, making the player more vulnerable to the other two attacks.
By deftly avoiding all of these obstacles, Odysseus can attempt to reach his family, building up his nostos meter with each step. By coming into contact with Telemachus and Penelope, Odysseus will reach 100% nostos and come to the realization that he wants to return home, that he now chooses nostos over kleos. At this point, the game will end.
Gameplay
Explanation
By racing to reach his family, Odysseus is communicating that his desire for nostos is building. Poseidon’s attacks symbolize the opposition Odysseus has faced and will continue to face, but the player’s perseverance will demonstrate that he is willing to overcome these challenges.
In addition, each attack represents a small event from the Odyssey, serving both as nice references to the poem itself while also fitting in with the dream theme of a world filled with symbols, memories, and metaphors:
The “Poseidon Wave” represents the sea storms Poseidon throws at Odysseus, such as during his initial escape from Calypso’s island.
The “Aeolus Gust” evokes the frustration of being knocked off course just as Odysseus was when his crew unleashed the winds given to him by Aeolus.
The “Charybdis Whirlpool” references the perils Odysseus and his crew faced when they sailed between Scylla and Charybdis. Hopefully, the slowing effect of the whirlpool will place players in their own difficult situations of having to narrowly avoid other obstacles, paralleling the idea of “being stuck between a rock and a hard place”, just as Odysseus was.
Lenses of Schell
Nostos was designed with a number of Jesse Schell’s lenses of game design in mind. A small selection of lenses and explanations follows:
– Lens of Essential Experience – Nostos is completely designed around a single game experience, the idea of communicating the theme of kleos and nostos at a deep, personal level through player interactions in Odysseus’ dream state. This is evident in every stage and event, from the building of kleos through combat to the full realization of nostos during the final challenge.
– Lens of Surprise – Players are surprised through multiple happenings in Nostos. Beyond the surreal environments, events such as fighting living Trojan horses, physically increasing in size only to have that power stripped away by Poseidon, slaying doppelgangers of Odysseus, and being tossed around by the final obstacles are all unexpected and surprising elements in the game.
– Lens of Curiosity ​– One of the greatest aspects of Nostos is the curiosity it instills in players. Players will immediately wonder about their strange environment and situation and will constantly question the symbolic meanings and reasons behind each event. (“What will happen if I fight and build kleos? How are all of these strange characters and situations related? How can I build nostos and save my family?”) These questions ultimately lead players down a path to the game’s conclusion.
– Lens of Problem Solving – Most evident in the second stage, the game presents a series of abstract problems and puzzles disguised as “deeds” being committed for several NPCs. Whether its realizing the silver bowl can be used to seal away the sirens, or cutting down images of your own avatar will placate the cyclops, these puzzles require problem solving skills in unusual ways.
Creating Nostos was an incredible experience, and I’m very satisfied with what I was able to accomplish. I hope players will enjoy and appreciate what it has to offer!
A Homecoming Completed
The player must find and rescue the cattle of the sun god, Helios.
Avoid temptation and lock away their song. (...And ignore their stand-in models.)
Odysseus must absolve himself of the blinding of the cyclops.
Eventually the player will begin to notice that his size is increasing with each slain foe, eventually matching the height of the Trojan horse itself. The player will find that Odysseus’ strength also scales with kleos, allowing him to fell even the mighty Trojan horse. This act will bring with it an enormous boost in kleos as well. Soon after, multiple Trojan horses will rise, and the player will attack them to continue building kleos.
As Odysseus nears 100% kleos, he will be capable of slaying entire armies of soldiers with a single swing. With full kleos, Poseidon himself will appear, and the player’s natural reaction will be to use their newfound strength to attack the figure that has wrought so much pain and suffering on Odysseus. This act will be met with divine punishment, Poseidon knocking Odysseus back and shrinking him back to his normal size as the game transitions to the second stage.
The first stage of the game symbolizes Odysseus’ previous mentality as seen in the Iliad and parts of the Odyssey. The imagery of Trojan horses and bleeding soldiers is meant to conjure memories of the Iliad and the Trojan war, suggesting a reflection on the past, i.e. “what was”, that the accumulation of kleos is what was once important to Odysseus (and the player), but might not necessarily be important now (which is somewhat suggested by the presence of the other resource described in the UI, nostos).
The intent is that players will reflect on the events of the first stage and understand the themes of the game in the sort of deep manner that only an interactive medium can provide. At no point is the player ever instructed to attack or kill anything; players commit these “atrocities” of their own accord. This is my way of taking advantage of player assumptions and predispositions when it comes to games and conflict, where the general response to seeing an armed player avatar and large, approaching entities is to “attack and kill”. “Bleeding” horses and the massacring of Greek soldiers, especially when they initially present no immediate threat and cannot damage or kill Odysseus at any point, communicate a sort of grotesque thirst for unnecessary bloodshed in the quest for kleos. This is further emphasized by the red bar color for kleos in the UI (which is in contrast to the calming blue color for nostos).
Polyphemus will be surrounded by clones of Odysseus that will occasionally shout such phrases as “I, Odysseus, blinded Polyphemus!”, or “It was I, Odysseus, that tricked the cyclops Polyphemus!”. By “slaying” each of these clones, Polyphemus’s hatred for Odysseus will appear to subside.
​
“Solving” each of these problems results in a decrease in Odysseus’ kleos, eventually resulting in a full depletion once all of the tasks are complete. At this point, the game will transition to the final stage.
