The relationship between narrative and game mechanics has been researched under terms such as ludonarrative dissonance, ludonarrative resonance and narrative mechanics. Yu-Gi-Oh! is a Trading Card Game which contains game mechanics that symbolically represents sections of the Arthurian legend. In this thesis the mechanics of specific Yu-Gi-Oh! cards were compared to the Arthurian legend. From this analysis were design guidelines derived, on how to represent a narrative with game mechanics. Game objects can be referenced by listing associated cards. The name of a mechanic can help in symbolically tell a narrative. The exclusion of a mechanic can also represent something. The conditions for a mechanic to be available is an area where narrative can be implemented. If a narrative mechanic is surrounded by many other mechanics, the symbolism can be “drowned out”. There is a balance between effective symbolism and a good game mechanic.

Dans un effort pour mettre en valeur la pertinence de l’étude du jeu de cartes japonais Yu-Gi-Oh en tant que facteur non négligeable de la construction identitaire de ses joueurs, ce mémoire s’intéresse à l’analyse du rapport qu’entretiennent lesdits joueurs à leur jeu fétiche. Pour ce faire ce travail s’intéresse à trois des spécificités qui caractérisent le jeu de cartes Yu-Gi-Oh à savoir : l’élaboration transmédiatique de sa narration, le caractère décisif des interactions entre ses joueurs ainsi que l’appropriation personnalisée du jeu par les participants. A la croisée de multiples disciplines telles que la psychologie, la ludologie, la narratologie ou encore la sociologie et soutenues par plus deux mois de terrain, les analyses et propos présentés dans ce travail ont également pour objectif d’offrir une plongée aussi immersive qu’enrichissante au sein du milieu socio-culturel des joueurs de Yu-Gi-Oh rappelant du même coup l’importance que peut avoir la pratique ludique pour l’être humain moderne. Enfin, avec ce devoir j’espère pouvoir démontrer que les joueurs de Yu-Gi-Oh ont tendance à se raconter des histoires à propos d’eux-mêmes à partir de leur médium de choix. Les cartes aussi ont une histoire. / In an effort to highlight the relevance of the study of the Japanese card game Yu-Gi-Oh as a significant factor in the « identity building » of its players, this master thesis focuses on the analysis of the relationship between said players to their favorite game. To do this, this work focuses on three of the specificities that characterize the Yu-Gi-Oh card game, namely: the transmedia development of its narration, the decisive nature of the interactions between its players as well as the personalized appropriation of the game by the participants. At the crossroads of multiple disciplines such as psychology, ludology, narratology or sociology and supported by more than two months of fieldwork, the analyzes and remarks presented in this work also aim to offer a dive as immersive as it is enriching within the socio-cultural environment of Yu-Gi-Oh players recalling at the same time the importance that playful practice can hold for the modern man. Finally, with this work i hope to be able to demonstrate that Yu-Gi-Oh players tend to tell stories about themselves from their medium of choice. Cards also have stories to themself.