Gris
- What made the experience fun or not?
- I wouldn’t say it was fun, mostly cause its not my kind of game. It felt kinda slow and like a regular platformer. There were the classic mechanics of jumping and ground pounding but it didn’t introduce any new mechanics I haven’t seen before. I think this game is more about the story and lesson rather than the gameplay.
- What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
- I think the factor is to try and get through the puzzles successfully, but more importantly I think the goal is to get through the story to learn more about the character and what shes going through.
- Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
- I didn’t feel exactly pursuaded in anyway. I think the game is trying to create empathy for people who are having a rough time. I didn’t play the game long enough to really learn about what she was going through but I believe she was sad and lost something.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
- I think the metaphor is going through sadness and slowly improving and becoming heathier and happier. The mechanics didn’t really standout, but rather the lack of. All you could do is jump walk and ground pound while collecting stars and solving puzzles. The lack of mechanics comes in the form of simplicity with no eneimies, which are usually a staple to platformers. It takes away the competitive part of the game and rather creates a more relaxing environment for the player to understand the character.
- How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
- The gameplay was kind of boring because it was simple puzzles, but I assume the puzzles get a little trickier later into the game. I honestly didn’t understand the story but I kinda felt empathy for the character because she lost her voice.
- Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?
- I don’t think its an activist game but rather a persuasive game to try and get players to feel more empathy for others in the real life. It tries to show that alot of people go through hard times.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
- a colorful land, jumping up and finding stars, to the next color
Detroit Become Human
- What made the experience fun or not?
- I enjoyed the expereince, its a good story telling game that gives the player alot of interactivity. It follows atleast 2 different androids that I know of who have different jobs in the world. It explores their relationships with others and allows the player to learn more as the game moves on, I’d like to play this game in my own time.
- What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
- The motiviating factor is to get through the story and develop relationships with different characters, good or bad. It has an engaging story that makes the player want to keep playing.
- Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
- I think the game is perusasive in the sense its trying to teach about discrimination. The robots are treated poorly by their human creators and its a metaphor for racismm in real life. It wants to show the players how people might feel when being treated differently for something they cant control.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
- The game is a metaphor for racism and trying to get players to understand that. The games mechanics stand out because even in a story it gives the player interacivity as well as the choices to develop relationships with different characters.
- How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
- I really like the game play, it makes me feel like im watching a movie but I am part of that movie. It tests your memory with some puzzles as well and its super entertaining. I felt some empathy for the androids because they are treated poorly because of how they were made, even if they are a good “person”.
- Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?
- The game can be considered an activist game. It advocates for minorities and people who are discriminated against. It shows this by giving instances of racist between the humans and the androids.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
- a created bot, learning about the world and, becoming human
Outer Wilds
- What made the experience fun or not?
- It was decent, I’m not a fan of the movement in space which is a big part of the game, it get’s a little frustrating. It’s very exploratority and im not a big fan of those games. When I say explore its like walking around taking pictures, I don’t think you can collect materials which is whats missing for me.
- What is the motivating factor to get or keep players playing?
- The motivating factor is to explore other planets and find the truth about this other alien race. I only played the game for a bit and forget what the intro to the game told us so it’s a little confusing. I just know the goal is to explore and learn about other species.
- Is the game persuasive, and what is it trying to get you to do outside of the game?
- I don’t think its persuasive. Its pretty exploratory and the point is to learn about planets and other aliens. Maybe the point is to learn more about other parts of the world and explore different cultures.
- What is the game’s metaphor and which of the game’s mechanics standout?
- The games metaphor is to keep trying even after you fail, and after every failure you learn something new that can help you for next time!
- How does the gameplay make you feel? Who does the game make you feel empathy for?
- The gameplay can make me a little frustrated because the movement in space is pretty difficult because theres no friction. Theres also alot that can kill you, for example I followed a path and found myself in a blackhole. The point is though, next time I go to that planet I know not to go down that path. I don’t really feel empathy for anyone in this game. Its about exploring!
- Is the game an activist game? If so what does the game play advocate for?
- It could be? I can see people taking it as exploring other countries and cultures and trying to learn about other people. Maybe it says be kind and respect other’s cultures while you learn about them, no matter how different they are.
- Describe the game in 3 sentences or in the form of a haiku.
- fly a ship around, there is no friction in space, die and try again.
5 Games that revolve around empathy.
- It’s a bit political, but with the big movements of ICE there can be a game where youre taken and put back into somewhere you don’t know. Maybe you live on a planet and you’re taken to a different one, and you have to leanr to get back on your feet.
- There can be one about living in a lower class part of America. You start slow and its very difficult but you have to find different ways in order to become more successful and survive.
- There can be a game about being homeless. Maybe you play as an alien who’s world is slowly collapsing and your house is destroyed. Then you have to go around collecting resources and trying to rebuild and survive.
- Going back to about being homeless, we can add about wildlife preservaition too. You can play as an animal who gets his home destroyed and you have to find food to survive and make friends with other animals to protect yourself from predators. You could also find evolutions that make you stronger to help gather resoruces and protect yourself.
- For the AR game, you can be a manager at a corrupt company. You have to go though books and look at what the company is doing to people and decide who to save and who to sacrafice in order to keep your job while also trying to reduce he damage on your innocent customers.
GAME IDEA AND RULES WILL BE POSTED SEPERATE
How does Mary Flanagan’s definition of a game differ from Crawford’s and Salen & Zimmerman’s?
Mary Flanagan sees games as tools that can share ideas and challenge society. Chris Crawford focuses more on games having goals and conflict. Salen and Zimmerman define games as systems with rules and outcomes. Flanagan’s definition is broader because it looks at meaning, not just structure.
What is an activist game?
An activist game is made to bring attention to social or political problems. It is meant to make players think, not just have fun. These games try to inspire change or awareness.
What other games have “perfect information” like Go and chess?
Perfect-information games show everything to all players. Games like checkers, tic-tac-toe, and Othello work this way. There is no hidden information in these games.
Why did chance or gambling games matter to ancient cultures?
Ancient people believed chance came from gods or fate. Random results were seen as messages, not accidents. These games were often used in religious activities.
When did conflicts between games and authorities begin, and what modern games have been criticized?
Conflicts over games started long ago, especially with gambling. Religious and government groups often worried games were harmful. Modern games like Dungeons & Dragons and Grand Theft Auto have faced criticism.
What is a fox game, and what is a modern example?
A fox game puts a weaker player against a stronger opponent. The weaker player must use smart thinking instead of strength. A modern example is Metal Gear Solid
What was the purpose of The Mansion of Happiness?
The game was made to teach good behavior. Players moved forward by making good choices. It was meant to teach moral and religious values.
Why did Fluxus and Surrealist artists play games, and why did Surrealists think games could help people?
They used games to break rules and think differently. Surrealists believed games helped people use their imagination. They saw play as a way to challenge normal thinking.
What changes show big changes in games, and how were pinball games changed during WWII?
Changes in images and themes show changes in society. During WWII, pinball games used war images. This helped support patriotism.
What were Fluxus artists saying by changing games like Monopoly and Ping-Pong?
They wanted people to question money, competition, and rules. Changing games made players think differently about play. The games became messages, not just entertainment.
How are artists like Duchamp and Yoko Ono using war games?
They change war games to question violence and power. Their work shows war in a critical way. This helps players think instead of just enjoy conflict.
Why is player choice important in serious or critical games?
Player choice helps people learn by doing. Making decisions shows real consequences. This makes the message of the game stronger and easier to understand.