With the increasing popularity of storytelling games (like The Last of Us: Part II and Assassin's Creed: Shadows), there is much more complexity in video games than most non-gamers would think. With lengthy cut-scenes, as well as a plethora of quests involving notes, maps, letters, and more - it fleshes the story out in a way that isn't the same as dialogue, expanding on the in-game universe.
In games like Silent Hill 2, you are essentially reading notes/letters to figure out why you're in the dreary town (and I haven't finished it yet, so no spoilers!), as well as needing to pay close attention to details, like literal writing on the walls, hidden pictures with notes on the verso, etc. In The Last of Us: Part II, players encounter several letters and accounts from long-dead survivors of the Cordyceps outbreak, adding depth to an already emotionally charged narrative.
In games where your decisions impact how the game ends, like Until Dawn or The Quarry (both available for borrowing here at APL), you have to put a lot more thinking into your actions as well as how the storyline has been progressing until that point. You have to make choices that may or may not harm your characters, allowing you to shape the story as you progress - that's a little something we like to call "active literacy", as you interpret and analyze the game based on what you've seen and read.
Even simpler, less narrative-driven games (like Mario Kart or Fortnite) offer even the youngest of players something to read - they still have to navigate the menu, understand item descriptions, and reach certain objectives/achievements, it provides little readers a subtle way to increase their reading comprehension in a significantly more entertaining way.
A la vein of graphic novels/comics, just because there's a heavy visual component, doesn't mean there's zero reading involved - and don't let anyone born in the 1900s tell you differently!
Add a comment to: Video Games Count as Reading, Fight Me!