- Discuss:
- ARGs: A World Without Oil:
- I feel like this is a good real world scenario that not only helped players become more conscientious about the environment, but it also pushed them to make an impact through gardening, biking to work, or participating in local farmers markets.
- Discovery Tour by Assassin’s Creed:
- I feel like this took all the fun out of Assassin’s Creed, as you couldn’t play the traditional game mechanics in these historical sites. However, from a strictly historical standpoint, I would say it was worth the knowledge of these places architecturally in their true forms.
- Detroit Become Human:
- Although I’ve never played this game, I hear that it draws emotions out of the players, and the fact that there are so many different ways that the game could play out, I think that is something as game designers we should strive for.
- Factorio:
- This game partially influenced one of my future prototypes that I am currently in the conceptual stage with. I tried incorporating the sense of colonizers Vs Natives in an attempt to steal resources to take over their land. If I had a critique on this game, maybe they shouldn’t have made it so fantasy, like prof. Ames said, and instead shed some light on the struggles of the natives due to these factories being built.
- Outer wilds:
- This game screams fantasy and future dystopian in an alien yet sorta familiar world. I think this game succeeds in the idea that sometimes nature can be scary, and that sometimes one must defend themselves from it.
- Gris:
- I loved the art and seamlessness of the animations and the actual playing of the game, as they all looked uniformed to each other and worked super well. Although it was hard to get the hang of it at first, understanding that sometimes a game is just there to make you think differently but not stress out too much about it was reassuring. Beautiful style and theme.
- Gone Home:
- Idk why but this game reminded me of that one game where you’re in that house and you try and escape from an evil granny.
- The Layoff Game:
- I think this is one of those satire games that people shouldn’t get too upset about, as the developers took a real world issue, and simply poked fun at the matter. Do I agree with the message, no. However, I wouldn’t go as far to feel offended by it.
- Homework:
- Generate a list of five game ideas that revolve around the theme of empathy. Wrinkle: Take one of the five ideas and make it an alternate reality game.
- 1. Emotional Pictionary: players must draw a feeling that they have in under a minute. Then it is up to other players to guess what it was that made them feel that way.
- 2. Poverty POV: Engage in a POV from all different walks of life, resulting in understandment for what other cultures must go through around the world in 3rd world countries
- 3. Pet paradise. This game consists of players competing to rescue as many stray dogs as possible in order to bring them from their life on the streets, into a pampered home, by playing different challenges and rolling a percent die to determine the outcome.
- 4. shroompathy: Players take on the role of someone experiencing a deep, emotional, and slightly ridiculous psychedelic journey. Other players must guide them through it in the most empathetic yet funny way possible.
- One player draws a Trip Card (weird, surreal experience).
- The other players respond with Guide Cards (comforting or unhelpful things a “trip
- sitter” might say).
- The tripping player awards the point to the most comforting but absurdly funny response.
- 5. Ink Memories: this game is set in a dystopian world where people forget their past, but tattoos preserve their memories. As a tattooist, players restore lost moments through symbolic ink-work. Clients’ reactions change depending on how well the tattoo captures their forgotten experiences.
- Read: Chapter 1 and 3 from Flanagan, Mary. Critical Play Radical Game Design, MIT Press, 2009
- From chapter 1:
- How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of a game differ from Chris Crawford’s, Katie Salen’s, and Eric Zimmerman’s?
- Chris Crawford defines games as interactive and competitive. In which players make decisions to reach a goal. Overall, he focuses heavily on conflict and competition.
- Katie Salen & Eric Zimmerman define games as much more structuralized set of rules. Which in turn determine the outcome of the game. Their definitions highlight systems, player interaction, and experience
- Mary Flanagan, Defines games as tools for expression, social commentary, and activism. She pushes that games have the ability to challenge cultural norms and create new forms of engagement beyond simply being played for enjoyment or entertainment. This is a lot like the definition of an activist game.
- what is an activist game?
- An activist game is a game designed to promote social change, critique issues with how our world is run, or raise awareness about real problems in the world.
- From chapter 3 –
- From chapter 1:
- go and chess are examples of games that feature “perfect information”, what other games share that feature?
- Checkers, Shogi, Tic-Tac-Toe
- why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
- Bc Ancient societies believed that randomness/luck was connected to the divine.Dice games, lot-drawing, and other gambling mechanics were often used for:
- Decision-making by deities
- Predicting the future
- Determining leadership or settling disputes.
- when was the earliest battle between government/ religious groups and games? what modern games can you think of that have been banned or demonized?
- In Ancient China (3000 BCE), these rulers attempted to restrict gambling due to its association with disorder. Currently, games that I can think of that have been banned are games like happy wheels in schools, as it was too gorey for children to play according to the teachers and staff.
- what is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?
- strategy board games in which a predator tries to catch prey. A similar modern game to this could be Agar.io as you spawn for the soul purpose to eat smaller circles than you.
- what was the purpose or intent of the game: Mansion of Happiness?
- Mansion of Happiness was a christian morality-based board game that rewarded players for good behavior. All the while punishing sins such as pride, idleness, and gambling.
- Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surealist movements play games? Why did Surealists believe games might help everyone?
- Fluxus artists used games to challenge traditional art forms as well as a critique on capitalism.
- Surrealists saw games as a way to unlock the unconscious mind, in a way to free creativity
- Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WW2?
- During World War II, pinball machines were redesigned to feature military themes, in a hope to make the players more patriotic.
- What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like monopoly and ping pong?
- It allowed them to give a critique on capitalism, as well as turn a competative game, into something more collaborative
- How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco and Ruth Catlow using war games?
- to critique political powers
- Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?
- it helps players engage deeper with the message that a game tries to push.
2 Replies to “HW”
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I think that the Emotional Pictionary could be interesting. You could potential include tips with how to deal with certain emotions in the game itself. I could see some beautiful pieces of art resulting from this game with the right materials.
I can clarify more about Detroit Become Human. The game is very unique, in the sense that it is VERY realistic. Every action that you commit to has its own consequences, and sometimes it is scary to see the hardships of your own choices. I also haven’t played it, but I’ve seen a lot about it in gameplay.