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When I talk about micro expression in games, i'm talking about how a story or game designer might create the world around the main character, and how the player's story falls into said world. Micro expression is not a full genre, but instead a way of telling stories. Essentially micro expression is when a developer takes a traditional story or setting, and instead of placing the player in the shoes of the traditional hero or protagonist, he is placed in a much smaller roll as a protagonist of their own story. For example, say you have a very traditional fantasy setting (orcs, elves, magic, warriors and whatnot). Instead of the player being the legendary hero venturing across the land to slay a dragon he could be the tavern keeper who has to handle tavern brawls and handing out quests to adventurers. The game's focus is shifted to another genre and to another character in order to tell a different story. Some examples of games that already exist is stuff like Boss Monster (where you stock a dungeon with monsters and loot for adventurers using cards), or Papers Please (where you act as a border security official during a rebellion in the fictional country of arstotska). Game like this are often in the management or simulation genre.
The game Papers Please, where dealing with passports is equally stressful as real life
So how can this style of story telling be used in games? Well one thing these stories can do is act as a form of parody. With a traditional story found in other games acting as the background to your actions you can not only make fun of some tropes as most parodies do, but you can also make fun of the players actions in a traditional roll. For example in the game Shop Heroes characters that come into your shop might be wearing extremely odd things, such as a full plate helmet and a dress. Or speak in a manor completely contradictory to the setting and style of the game by using lingo often associated with how gamers might speak in an MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online). In this way developers can interact with their audience in a very unique way.
One key thing that micro expression can do is tell a human story which I personally think is one of its most important abilities. Take for example Papers Please, In a traditional story the players would work to overthrow a corrupt government through any means possible, with many twists and turns along the way. and sure the player would see the evil wrought by the government, but they would still be this massively important figure, but what Paper Please and other games of a similar nature allows is for the players to understand how the the small man is affected. How a rebellion or a choice between the right thing and the government's security can resualt in a day without food. Putting things in perspective for players is a great way to expand games into more of an art form than simple entertainment.
The card game Boss Monster where you have to lure adventurers to their
doom with promises of loot
Finally micro expression can be used to explore new forms of gameplay. With a familier backdrop new ideas and genres can be explored without having to worry about whether or not players will feel comfortable in such a world. Being able to reach a preexisting base with a new concept is vital to a products survival. and presenting you're concept as familiar can do such a thing. Jack-smith is a precision and timing based game where you forge things. But if the idea was simply to use a forge without the hook of a larger story or world going on around you players may be weary to play or might ignore it all together.
How can we use the genre in general?