- How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of game differ from Chris Crawford’s as well as the definition crafted by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman?
Flanagan takes a broader approach to defining games, looking at their cultural and political impact rather than just their mechanics. Crawford is more focused on interactivity and conflict, while Salen and Zimmerman stick to a structured definition based on rules and formal systems. Flanagan’s take stands out because she sees games as a way to challenge and critique society, not just something people play for fun. - What is an activist game?
An activist game is a game designed to push for social or political change. Instead of just entertaining players, these games try to raise awareness, challenge norms, or make a statement about real-world issues. Some are subtle, while others are pretty direct in their messaging, but they all use gameplay as a way to make people think. - Go and Chess are examples of games that feature “perfect information,” what other games share that feature?
Other perfect information games would be things like checkers, tic-tac-toe, connect four, and shogi. In all of these, every player has full knowledge of the game state at all times—there’s nothing hidden, like dice rolls or secret cards, so every move is purely strategic. - Why might chance or gambling games hold spiritual or religious importance to ancient cultures?
A lot of ancient cultures saw games of chance as more than just games—they were ways to interpret fate, communicate with gods, or determine outcomes that people believed weren’t entirely in their control. Rolling dice, drawing lots, or flipping objects was sometimes seen as a way to let a higher power make a decision rather than leaving it up to people. - When was the earliest battle between government/religious groups and games? What modern games can you think of that have been banned or demonized?
One of the earliest examples was in medieval Europe, when the Catholic Church banned dice games because they were associated with gambling and immorality. In modern times, games like Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat, and Doom have faced bans or controversy for their violence, while Dungeons & Dragons was once caught up in a moral panic over supposed ties to the occult. - What is a fox game, and what would be a modern example?
Fox games are strategy games where one strong piece (the fox) is up against multiple weaker pieces trying to trap it. A modern example would be asymmetrical multiplayer games like Dead by Daylight, where one killer faces off against multiple survivors who have to work together to win. - What was the purpose or intent of the game: Mansion of Happiness?
It was basically a morality board game from the 1800s that tried to teach Christian values. Players moved through a life path where they were rewarded for virtues like honesty and punished for vices like laziness or greed. It was more about reinforcing religious lessons than just playing for fun. - Why do artists from the Fluxus and Surrealist movements play games? Why did Surrealists believe games might help everyone?
They saw games as a way to break away from structured, logical thinking and encourage creativity. Surrealists in particular believed that playing games could help people unlock their subconscious and think in more imaginative ways, instead of being stuck in rigid patterns of thought. - Changes in what can signal profound changes in games? How were pinball games reskinned during WW2?
Theming and mechanics often reflect bigger shifts in society. During WWII, pinball games were reskinned to feature patriotic and military themes, turning them into something that supported the war effort rather than just being seen as entertainment. - What statements did Fluxus artists make by reskinning games like Monopoly and Ping Pong?
By changing the rules and themes of well-known games, they turned them into statements about capitalism, competition, and control. Reskinning Monopoly could be a way of criticizing economic inequality, while modifying Ping Pong could be a way of playing with ideas of cooperation, absurdity, or randomness. - How are artists like Lilian Ball, Marcel Duchamp, Takako Saito, Yoko Ono, Gabriel Orozco, and Ruth Catlow using war games?
They take traditional war games and subvert them to critique militarism, power structures, or strategic thinking in general. Instead of reinforcing the usual ideas of war and competition, their versions often challenge the way people view conflict and control. - Why is it important for players to have agency in a critical or serious game?
If a game is trying to make a point, the player actually needs to feel like their actions matter. Without agency, the game just becomes a passive experience, and the message loses impact. Letting players make meaningful choices makes the experience more personal and makes them engage with the game’s ideas more deeply.
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Agency does seem very crucial to a serious game. The game doesn’t want to seem half thought out or like something that was a waste of time when it is communicating such an important message