Interactive Digital Narratives and Counter-Narratives. Systematising knowledge to derive clusters as lenses of observation

This paper delves into Interactive Digital Narratives (IDNs) as powerful artefacts for challenging dominant narratives and promoting inclusive storytelling. The study is based on a literature review of the research discourse on IDNs, aiming to discern their potential to support and address counter-narratives. Triangulation and systematisation of the existing knowledge corpus, key themes, theoretical frameworks, and studies surrounding IDN and counter-narrative were conducted, collecting primary definitions and identifying for each domain relevant clusters. Five original scientific works by as many scholars that constitute this special issue are explored and mapped against this backdrop and associated with IDN and counter-narrative clusters. This process highlights their alignment with the research discourse, leading to the identification of intersections between IDNs and counter-narratives from diverse perspectives. This exploration sheds light on how IDNs can serve as counter-hegemonic narratives, being spaces for alternative perspectives and identities that challenge dominant ideologies. Ultimately, the requisite preconditions for IDNs to function as counter-narratives are discussed.