2025
Kankainen, Ville
Hybrid Play Experience and Design in Tabletop Gaming PhD Thesis
2025.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Experience, Game design, Hybridity, Tabletop game
@phdthesis{nokey,
title = {Hybrid Play Experience and Design in Tabletop Gaming},
author = {Ville Kankainen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3765-0},
year = {2025},
date = {2025-02-21},
urldate = {2025-02-21},
journal = {Tampere University Dissertations},
publisher = {Tampere University},
abstract = {In times of ubiquitous digitality and pervasive media networks, a materially grounded
leisure culture of contemporary tabletop gaming is flourishing. This includes the play
and culture of modern board games, tabletop role-playing games, and miniature
games. While tabletop gamers often herald tangible aesthetics and co-located face to
face sociality among the key pleasures of this form of leisure, the tabletop gaming
hobby is in many ways shaped by recent techno–cultural developments.
Especially, the past decade has been a period of blurring boundaries between
physical and digital experiences in games and leisure, but also more broadly in the
contempary West. Everyday practices and social interaction are engaged increasingly
through online platforms, shaping the ways in which people experience leisure and
life in general. The blending of physical and digital elements in contemporary
tabletop gaming practices results in patterns of hybrid play which collate together a
variety of tangible and intangible experiences on the physical–digital continuum,
characterizing everyday life in the networked society.
This dissertation is an exploratory study, situated in the interdisciplinary field of
game studies, with a diverse array of methods and theoretical perspectives. The
multi-method approach used in the work is a flexible combination of social–
scientific and design research methods. It is supported by a collection of synergistic
theories drawn from several related fields, including game studies, media studies,
consumer culture studies, and leisure studies. A combination of diverse theoretical
perspectives throughout the four articles of the dissertation allows for a
comprehensive, multi-angle exploration of hybrid play experiences and design in
contemporary tabletop gaming.
The work largely relies on fundamental research on (tabletop game) player
experiences. The intention of this was to create understanding on the roles of digital
technology and online media practices in contemporary tabletop gaming leisure.
Understanding the changing environment of (tabletop game) play in this critical
period is among the central goals of this work. However, the study was conducted
with a future-oriented design ethnographical ethos, wherein the exploration was
carried out to inform and inspire the design of future hybrid play solutions. As a
result, I have contextualized hybrid play to a wider aesthetic and cultural “postix
digital” paradigm, referring to the way that content has taken the central stage in
culture after digital technology has become an inseparable part of everyday life.
I see hybrid play as a temporal phenomenon describing this critical period of
converging media and the fusing of analog and digital technologies, and the resulting
affective and aesthetic experiences. I investigate the matter from both theoretical
and practical perspectives, proposing a set of core principles for hybrid boardgame
design, while promoting an understanding of hybrid games and hybrid play as
experiential, rather than technological categories.
The results illustrate how experiential assemblages of physical and digital
elements in tabletop gaming open an environment for meaningful tabletop gaming
experiences beyond the act of playing the game, and how both the material and
immaterial cultures of tabletop gaming spread on a global scale through sociocultural
hybrid play engagements in networked media. By promoting this approach, I
challenge a common approach in games research which emphasizes the gameplay
situation over contextual game experiences.
In this, the work highlights sociomaterial interactions in the hybrid media
ecosystem of tabletop gaming as a source for hybrid play experiences, and further
earmarks key opportunities in the resulting hybrid play design space of tabletop
games. Finally, the focus on tabletop gaming in the dissertation is merely an example
of postdigital developments in contemporary culture, and the observations made in
the work hopefully have wider implications for understanding the entanglements of
physical and digital in gaming and leisure experiences, but also more broadly in
contemporary networked media cultures.},
keywords = {Experience, Game design, Hybridity, Tabletop game},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {phdthesis}
}
In times of ubiquitous digitality and pervasive media networks, a materially grounded
leisure culture of contemporary tabletop gaming is flourishing. This includes the play
and culture of modern board games, tabletop role-playing games, and miniature
games. While tabletop gamers often herald tangible aesthetics and co-located face to
face sociality among the key pleasures of this form of leisure, the tabletop gaming
hobby is in many ways shaped by recent techno–cultural developments.
Especially, the past decade has been a period of blurring boundaries between
physical and digital experiences in games and leisure, but also more broadly in the
contempary West. Everyday practices and social interaction are engaged increasingly
through online platforms, shaping the ways in which people experience leisure and
life in general. The blending of physical and digital elements in contemporary
tabletop gaming practices results in patterns of hybrid play which collate together a
variety of tangible and intangible experiences on the physical–digital continuum,
characterizing everyday life in the networked society.
This dissertation is an exploratory study, situated in the interdisciplinary field of
game studies, with a diverse array of methods and theoretical perspectives. The
multi-method approach used in the work is a flexible combination of social–
scientific and design research methods. It is supported by a collection of synergistic
theories drawn from several related fields, including game studies, media studies,
consumer culture studies, and leisure studies. A combination of diverse theoretical
perspectives throughout the four articles of the dissertation allows for a
comprehensive, multi-angle exploration of hybrid play experiences and design in
contemporary tabletop gaming.
The work largely relies on fundamental research on (tabletop game) player
experiences. The intention of this was to create understanding on the roles of digital
technology and online media practices in contemporary tabletop gaming leisure.
Understanding the changing environment of (tabletop game) play in this critical
period is among the central goals of this work. However, the study was conducted
with a future-oriented design ethnographical ethos, wherein the exploration was
carried out to inform and inspire the design of future hybrid play solutions. As a
result, I have contextualized hybrid play to a wider aesthetic and cultural “postix
digital” paradigm, referring to the way that content has taken the central stage in
culture after digital technology has become an inseparable part of everyday life.
I see hybrid play as a temporal phenomenon describing this critical period of
converging media and the fusing of analog and digital technologies, and the resulting
affective and aesthetic experiences. I investigate the matter from both theoretical
and practical perspectives, proposing a set of core principles for hybrid boardgame
design, while promoting an understanding of hybrid games and hybrid play as
experiential, rather than technological categories.
The results illustrate how experiential assemblages of physical and digital
elements in tabletop gaming open an environment for meaningful tabletop gaming
experiences beyond the act of playing the game, and how both the material and
immaterial cultures of tabletop gaming spread on a global scale through sociocultural
hybrid play engagements in networked media. By promoting this approach, I
challenge a common approach in games research which emphasizes the gameplay
situation over contextual game experiences.
In this, the work highlights sociomaterial interactions in the hybrid media
ecosystem of tabletop gaming as a source for hybrid play experiences, and further
earmarks key opportunities in the resulting hybrid play design space of tabletop
games. Finally, the focus on tabletop gaming in the dissertation is merely an example
of postdigital developments in contemporary culture, and the observations made in
the work hopefully have wider implications for understanding the entanglements of
physical and digital in gaming and leisure experiences, but also more broadly in
contemporary networked media cultures.
leisure culture of contemporary tabletop gaming is flourishing. This includes the play
and culture of modern board games, tabletop role-playing games, and miniature
games. While tabletop gamers often herald tangible aesthetics and co-located face to
face sociality among the key pleasures of this form of leisure, the tabletop gaming
hobby is in many ways shaped by recent techno–cultural developments.
Especially, the past decade has been a period of blurring boundaries between
physical and digital experiences in games and leisure, but also more broadly in the
contempary West. Everyday practices and social interaction are engaged increasingly
through online platforms, shaping the ways in which people experience leisure and
life in general. The blending of physical and digital elements in contemporary
tabletop gaming practices results in patterns of hybrid play which collate together a
variety of tangible and intangible experiences on the physical–digital continuum,
characterizing everyday life in the networked society.
This dissertation is an exploratory study, situated in the interdisciplinary field of
game studies, with a diverse array of methods and theoretical perspectives. The
multi-method approach used in the work is a flexible combination of social–
scientific and design research methods. It is supported by a collection of synergistic
theories drawn from several related fields, including game studies, media studies,
consumer culture studies, and leisure studies. A combination of diverse theoretical
perspectives throughout the four articles of the dissertation allows for a
comprehensive, multi-angle exploration of hybrid play experiences and design in
contemporary tabletop gaming.
The work largely relies on fundamental research on (tabletop game) player
experiences. The intention of this was to create understanding on the roles of digital
technology and online media practices in contemporary tabletop gaming leisure.
Understanding the changing environment of (tabletop game) play in this critical
period is among the central goals of this work. However, the study was conducted
with a future-oriented design ethnographical ethos, wherein the exploration was
carried out to inform and inspire the design of future hybrid play solutions. As a
result, I have contextualized hybrid play to a wider aesthetic and cultural “postix
digital” paradigm, referring to the way that content has taken the central stage in
culture after digital technology has become an inseparable part of everyday life.
I see hybrid play as a temporal phenomenon describing this critical period of
converging media and the fusing of analog and digital technologies, and the resulting
affective and aesthetic experiences. I investigate the matter from both theoretical
and practical perspectives, proposing a set of core principles for hybrid boardgame
design, while promoting an understanding of hybrid games and hybrid play as
experiential, rather than technological categories.
The results illustrate how experiential assemblages of physical and digital
elements in tabletop gaming open an environment for meaningful tabletop gaming
experiences beyond the act of playing the game, and how both the material and
immaterial cultures of tabletop gaming spread on a global scale through sociocultural
hybrid play engagements in networked media. By promoting this approach, I
challenge a common approach in games research which emphasizes the gameplay
situation over contextual game experiences.
In this, the work highlights sociomaterial interactions in the hybrid media
ecosystem of tabletop gaming as a source for hybrid play experiences, and further
earmarks key opportunities in the resulting hybrid play design space of tabletop
games. Finally, the focus on tabletop gaming in the dissertation is merely an example
of postdigital developments in contemporary culture, and the observations made in
the work hopefully have wider implications for understanding the entanglements of
physical and digital in gaming and leisure experiences, but also more broadly in
contemporary networked media cultures.
2022
Nygren, Nina V.; Kankainen, Ville; Brunet, Lucas
Offsetting Game—Framing Environmental Issues in the Design of a Serious Game Journal Article
In: Simulation & Gaming, vol. 53, iss. 6, pp. 579-675, 2022, ISSN: 1046-8781.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Biodiversity offsetting, Conservation conflicts, Frame analysis, Game design, Nature conservation, Serious games, Simulation games, Stakeholders
@article{Nygren2022,
title = {Offsetting Game—Framing Environmental Issues in the Design of a Serious Game},
author = {Nina V. Nygren and Ville Kankainen and Lucas Brunet},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202210047407},
doi = {10.1177/10468781221126786},
issn = {1046-8781},
year = {2022},
date = {2022-09-28},
urldate = {2022-09-28},
journal = {Simulation & Gaming},
volume = {53},
issue = {6},
pages = {579-675},
abstract = {Background
Biodiversity crisis requires researchers to reflect on tools and strategies to engage with different stakeholders. We propose that serious games can be designed to introduce stakeholders to a novel environmental policy tool and to communicate research on environmental issues. Our case is biodiversity offsetting (BDO), a novel policy tool aiming to reconcile nature conservation with other land uses. As any media, games offer certain framings of the issues they communicate about—some aspects are made more salient than others. However, frame analysis has not been widely used to analyze the design choices or the messages communicated by games. We analyze how these framings are designed into a game communicating about environmental issues.
Aim
To intervene in the emerging public discussion on BDO in Finland, we designed a land use board game and during the design process, played it with public and private stakeholders who would soon encounter and implement biodiversity offsetting policies in Finland. The aim of this article is to describe how our framings of BDO affected the design process and how those framings interacted with the design decisions we made. With our analysis, we want to contribute to the understanding of how framings and design choices interact in game design and how paying attention to framings is especially important for the design of SGs.
Method
We analyze how our framings of biodiversity offsetting and our design choices interact in game design. Our understanding of biodiversity offsetting guided our game design, but the design choices also contribute to the framing of the issue itself.
Results
Game design choices strongly frame the topic of the game and thus influence the function of a serious game. Thus, the framings of the topic should be considered carefully during the game design process, especially in the context of serious games.},
keywords = {Biodiversity offsetting, Conservation conflicts, Frame analysis, Game design, Nature conservation, Serious games, Simulation games, Stakeholders},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Background
Biodiversity crisis requires researchers to reflect on tools and strategies to engage with different stakeholders. We propose that serious games can be designed to introduce stakeholders to a novel environmental policy tool and to communicate research on environmental issues. Our case is biodiversity offsetting (BDO), a novel policy tool aiming to reconcile nature conservation with other land uses. As any media, games offer certain framings of the issues they communicate about—some aspects are made more salient than others. However, frame analysis has not been widely used to analyze the design choices or the messages communicated by games. We analyze how these framings are designed into a game communicating about environmental issues.
Aim
To intervene in the emerging public discussion on BDO in Finland, we designed a land use board game and during the design process, played it with public and private stakeholders who would soon encounter and implement biodiversity offsetting policies in Finland. The aim of this article is to describe how our framings of BDO affected the design process and how those framings interacted with the design decisions we made. With our analysis, we want to contribute to the understanding of how framings and design choices interact in game design and how paying attention to framings is especially important for the design of SGs.
Method
We analyze how our framings of biodiversity offsetting and our design choices interact in game design. Our understanding of biodiversity offsetting guided our game design, but the design choices also contribute to the framing of the issue itself.
Results
Game design choices strongly frame the topic of the game and thus influence the function of a serious game. Thus, the framings of the topic should be considered carefully during the game design process, especially in the context of serious games.
Biodiversity crisis requires researchers to reflect on tools and strategies to engage with different stakeholders. We propose that serious games can be designed to introduce stakeholders to a novel environmental policy tool and to communicate research on environmental issues. Our case is biodiversity offsetting (BDO), a novel policy tool aiming to reconcile nature conservation with other land uses. As any media, games offer certain framings of the issues they communicate about—some aspects are made more salient than others. However, frame analysis has not been widely used to analyze the design choices or the messages communicated by games. We analyze how these framings are designed into a game communicating about environmental issues.
Aim
To intervene in the emerging public discussion on BDO in Finland, we designed a land use board game and during the design process, played it with public and private stakeholders who would soon encounter and implement biodiversity offsetting policies in Finland. The aim of this article is to describe how our framings of BDO affected the design process and how those framings interacted with the design decisions we made. With our analysis, we want to contribute to the understanding of how framings and design choices interact in game design and how paying attention to framings is especially important for the design of SGs.
Method
We analyze how our framings of biodiversity offsetting and our design choices interact in game design. Our understanding of biodiversity offsetting guided our game design, but the design choices also contribute to the framing of the issue itself.
Results
Game design choices strongly frame the topic of the game and thus influence the function of a serious game. Thus, the framings of the topic should be considered carefully during the game design process, especially in the context of serious games.
2020
Passmore, Cale; Harrer, Sabine; Spiel, Katta
Between Pleasure and Power: Game Design Patterns in Clickbait Ludoporn Proceedings Article
In: DiGRA ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere, DiGRA, 2020, ISSN: 2342-9666.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Clickbait, Game design, Games, Ludoporn, Play, Porn
@inproceedings{Passmore2020,
title = {Between Pleasure and Power: Game Design Patterns in Clickbait Ludoporn},
author = {Cale Passmore and Sabine Harrer and Katta Spiel},
url = {http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/between-pleasure-and-power-game-design-patterns-in-clickbait-ludoporn/},
issn = {2342-9666},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-02},
booktitle = {DiGRA ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere},
publisher = {DiGRA},
abstract = {Despite its pervasiveness and prosperity in online spaces, the genre of playable online pornog- raphy, or ludoporn, has received little scholarly attention both in Human-Computer Interac- tion (HCI), Games Studies, and Porn Studies. In this paper, we discuss clickbait ludoporn as a hybrid design genre bridging games and pornography as they are offered for free on online platforms. We develop a tentative taxonomy of common design features, analysing game mechanics in terms of the libidinal investments and sexual pleasures promoted to players. Our analysis is based on a sample of 18 games retrieved from three different platforms. We suggest that the design of clickbait ludoporn mechanics incorporate mainstream approaches to sexuality, intimacy, and corporeality with fundamental consequences on how pleasure is culturally produced, articulated and normalised. We close on a call for game researchers and designers to claim the space of clickbait ludoporn with transformative intent.},
keywords = {Clickbait, Game design, Games, Ludoporn, Play, Porn},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Despite its pervasiveness and prosperity in online spaces, the genre of playable online pornog- raphy, or ludoporn, has received little scholarly attention both in Human-Computer Interac- tion (HCI), Games Studies, and Porn Studies. In this paper, we discuss clickbait ludoporn as a hybrid design genre bridging games and pornography as they are offered for free on online platforms. We develop a tentative taxonomy of common design features, analysing game mechanics in terms of the libidinal investments and sexual pleasures promoted to players. Our analysis is based on a sample of 18 games retrieved from three different platforms. We suggest that the design of clickbait ludoporn mechanics incorporate mainstream approaches to sexuality, intimacy, and corporeality with fundamental consequences on how pleasure is culturally produced, articulated and normalised. We close on a call for game researchers and designers to claim the space of clickbait ludoporn with transformative intent.
Toft, Ida Marie; Harrer, Sabine
Design Bleed: A Standpoint Methodology for Game Design Proceedings Article
In: DiGRA ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere, DiGRA, 2020, ISSN: 2342-9666.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Design bleed, Game design, Game jam, Hegemony of play, Larp, Live-action role playing, Standpoint feminism
@inproceedings{Toft2020,
title = {Design Bleed: A Standpoint Methodology for Game Design},
author = {Ida Marie Toft and Sabine Harrer},
url = {http://www.digra.org/digital-library/publications/design-bleed-a-standpoint-methodology-for-game-design/},
issn = {2342-9666},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-06-02},
booktitle = {DiGRA ’20: Proceedings of the 2020 DiGRA International Conference: Play Everywhere},
publisher = {DiGRA},
abstract = {In this paper we develop the concept of design bleed, a standpoint approach to game design. We adopt the terminology of bleed from the Nordic community around live- action role-playing games and use it as a lens on game development. Based on our own experiences in developing two game jam games, Lovebirds and Get Your Rocks On, we identify four ‘ingredients’ for bleed-inspired game design. We develop design bleed as a community affirming design practice which can be used as a tool for carving out shared standpoints. We suggest that this is particularly productive for game designers at the margins, as it has potential to be creatively and emotionally healing but can also invite expressions for political resistance to normative game culture.},
keywords = {Design bleed, Game design, Game jam, Hegemony of play, Larp, Live-action role playing, Standpoint feminism},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In this paper we develop the concept of design bleed, a standpoint approach to game design. We adopt the terminology of bleed from the Nordic community around live- action role-playing games and use it as a lens on game development. Based on our own experiences in developing two game jam games, Lovebirds and Get Your Rocks On, we identify four ‘ingredients’ for bleed-inspired game design. We develop design bleed as a community affirming design practice which can be used as a tool for carving out shared standpoints. We suggest that this is particularly productive for game designers at the margins, as it has potential to be creatively and emotionally healing but can also invite expressions for political resistance to normative game culture.
Çatak, Güven; Bostan, Barbaros; Aker, Çakır; Akan, Ecehan; Gemrot, Jakub; Kolek, Lukáš; Barák, Pavel; Jehličková, Lucie; Arjoranta, Jonne; Karhulahti, Matti; Koskimaa, Raine; Lakanen, Antti-Jussi; Varsaluoma, Jukka; Välisalo, Tanja; Mochocki, Michał; Chmielewski, Krzysztof; Schreiber, Paweł
Higher-ed Programmes for Careers in Game Design & Development (2019–2022): GAMEHIGHED Initial Research & Analysis Report Technical Report
2020.
Links | Tags: Digital games, Game design, Game design education, Game industry
@techreport{Çatak2020,
title = {Higher-ed Programmes for Careers in Game Design & Development (2019–2022): GAMEHIGHED Initial Research & Analysis Report},
author = {Güven Çatak and Barbaros Bostan and Çakır Aker and Ecehan Akan and Jakub Gemrot and Lukáš Kolek and Pavel Barák and Lucie Jehličková and Jonne Arjoranta and Matti Karhulahti and Raine Koskimaa and Antti-Jussi Lakanen and Jukka Varsaluoma and Tanja Välisalo and Michał Mochocki and Krzysztof Chmielewski and Paweł Schreiber},
url = {http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202004072702},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-04-07},
publisher = {Kazimierz Wielki University},
keywords = {Digital games, Game design, Game design education, Game industry},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {techreport}
}
2019
Kankainen, Ville; Kultima, Annakaisa; Meriläinen, Mikko
Motivations of Game Jam Organizers: Case of Finnish Game Jam Community Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games, pp. 1-8, ACM, 2019, ISBN: 2153-1633.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Game design, Game jam, Game jam organizers, Games, Intermediaries, Motivations, Volunteering
@inproceedings{Kankainen2019b,
title = {Motivations of Game Jam Organizers: Case of Finnish Game Jam Community},
author = {Ville Kankainen and Annakaisa Kultima and Mikko Meriläinen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-201910013611},
doi = {10.1145/3337722.3341840},
isbn = {2153-1633},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-08-26},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games},
pages = {1-8},
publisher = {ACM},
abstract = {In this paper, we examine the motivations and experiences of game jam organizers in Finland. For the purpose of the study, 13 game jam organizers were interviewed in 2018 - 2019. We found that motivations for organizing game jams are diverse but interlinked and can be roughly divided into six categories: Community Building, Community Driven, Education, Passion for Organizing, Supporting Creative Culture and Work Driven. Further, we noted that many organizers end up in their position through happenstance rather than actively looking for the role.},
keywords = {Game design, Game jam, Game jam organizers, Games, Intermediaries, Motivations, Volunteering},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
In this paper, we examine the motivations and experiences of game jam organizers in Finland. For the purpose of the study, 13 game jam organizers were interviewed in 2018 - 2019. We found that motivations for organizing game jams are diverse but interlinked and can be roughly divided into six categories: Community Building, Community Driven, Education, Passion for Organizing, Supporting Creative Culture and Work Driven. Further, we noted that many organizers end up in their position through happenstance rather than actively looking for the role.
Harrer, Sabine; Nielsen, Simon; Jarnfelt, Patrick
Of Mice and Pants: Queering the Conventional Gamer Mouse for Cooperative Play Proceedings Article
In: Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, pp. 1-11, ACM, 2019, ISBN: 9781450359719.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Computer mouse, Game design, Intersectionality, Queer game studies, Wearables
@inproceedings{Harrer2019,
title = {Of Mice and Pants: Queering the Conventional Gamer Mouse for Cooperative Play},
author = {Sabine Harrer and Simon Nielsen and Patrick Jarnfelt},
doi = {10.1145/3290607.3310431},
isbn = {9781450359719},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-05-02},
booktitle = {Extended Abstracts of the 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
pages = {1-11},
publisher = {ACM},
abstract = {Withing the fields of HCI and game design, conventional design practices have been criticised for perpetuating the status quo and marginalising users beyond the norm [11], [1], e.g. through genderized assumptions about user interaction [13]. To solve this problem of conservatism in HCI, one recommended strategy has been queering; the use of mischiveous, spaceful, and oblique design principles [13]. This contribution focuses on the conventional computer mouse within videogames as an example for a conventional input device optimised for a limited set of interactions. The article first reviews HCI discourses on the mouse within technology studies, game culture, and queer game studies. In these three domains, the mouse has been consistently reduced to its functionality as high-precision point-and-click device, constructing it as conservative seemingly hard-wired to cater to male-centred pleasures. We then discuss three experimental game design strategies to queer the mouse controller in The Undie Game, a cooperative wearable mouse-based installation game by the Copenhagen Game Collective. The Undie Game speculates about ways to confront and disrupt conventional expectations about gaming by fa''silly''tating interaction for two players who wear a mouse controller in their panties and collectively steer a 3D high definition tongue on screen to achieve a mutual highscore. By creating a social, silly, and potentially daunting play experience, The Undie Game reinterprets the affordances of the computer mouse to bring subjects like consent, failure, and ambiguity into the picture.},
keywords = {Computer mouse, Game design, Intersectionality, Queer game studies, Wearables},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Withing the fields of HCI and game design, conventional design practices have been criticised for perpetuating the status quo and marginalising users beyond the norm [11], [1], e.g. through genderized assumptions about user interaction [13]. To solve this problem of conservatism in HCI, one recommended strategy has been queering; the use of mischiveous, spaceful, and oblique design principles [13]. This contribution focuses on the conventional computer mouse within videogames as an example for a conventional input device optimised for a limited set of interactions. The article first reviews HCI discourses on the mouse within technology studies, game culture, and queer game studies. In these three domains, the mouse has been consistently reduced to its functionality as high-precision point-and-click device, constructing it as conservative seemingly hard-wired to cater to male-centred pleasures. We then discuss three experimental game design strategies to queer the mouse controller in The Undie Game, a cooperative wearable mouse-based installation game by the Copenhagen Game Collective. The Undie Game speculates about ways to confront and disrupt conventional expectations about gaming by fa''silly''tating interaction for two players who wear a mouse controller in their panties and collectively steer a 3D high definition tongue on screen to achieve a mutual highscore. By creating a social, silly, and potentially daunting play experience, The Undie Game reinterprets the affordances of the computer mouse to bring subjects like consent, failure, and ambiguity into the picture.
Harrer, Sabine
Radical Jamming: Sketching Radical Design Principles for Game Creation Workshops Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons and Game Creation Events 2019, pp. 1-5, ACM, 2019, ISSN: 2153-1633.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital technology, Facilitation, Game design, Hegemony, Radical design
@inproceedings{Harrer2019b,
title = {Radical Jamming: Sketching Radical Design Principles for Game Creation Workshops},
author = {Sabine Harrer},
doi = {10.1145/3316287.3316297},
issn = {2153-1633},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-03-17},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on Game Jams, Hackathons and Game Creation Events 2019},
pages = {1-5},
publisher = {ACM},
abstract = {This article is based on two observations about game production culture, first that there is a demographic mismatch between those who make games and those who play them [1], and secondly that through their organization, setting, and constraints, game jams and other creation events can encourage radical game design principles, values beyond the common practice [3]. This study discusses how facilitators might introduce radical game design values in their events, using thematic, technological, and expressive strategies. Adopting a reflective design lens [2] it critically reviews the design of a game creation workshop for technology novices. It thus reflects on how event organizers can practice their role as cultural intermediaries [10] to support the development of game expressions beyond the norm.},
keywords = {Digital technology, Facilitation, Game design, Hegemony, Radical design},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
This article is based on two observations about game production culture, first that there is a demographic mismatch between those who make games and those who play them [1], and secondly that through their organization, setting, and constraints, game jams and other creation events can encourage radical game design principles, values beyond the common practice [3]. This study discusses how facilitators might introduce radical game design values in their events, using thematic, technological, and expressive strategies. Adopting a reflective design lens [2] it critically reviews the design of a game creation workshop for technology novices. It thus reflects on how event organizers can practice their role as cultural intermediaries [10] to support the development of game expressions beyond the norm.
Koljonen, Johanna; Stenros, Jaakko; Grove, Anne Serup; Skjønsfjell, Aina; Nilsen, Elin (Ed.)
Larp Design: Creating Role-Play Experiences Book
Landsforeningen Bifrost, 2019, ISBN: 978-87-971140-0-1.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Accessibility, Experience design, Game design, Larp, Larp design, Live-action role playing
@book{Koljonen2019,
title = {Larp Design: Creating Role-Play Experiences},
editor = {Johanna Koljonen and Jaakko Stenros and Anne Serup Grove and Aina Skjønsfjell and Elin Nilsen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-2260-1},
isbn = {978-87-971140-0-1},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-07},
publisher = {Landsforeningen Bifrost},
abstract = {How do you create a new and original larp from scratch? How do you go from idea to execution and to debriefing? What do you need to know about designing workshops, character creation, worldbuilding, the soundscape, metatechniques, debriefing, and all the other parts of creating a role-play experience?
More than 60 larpwrights from ten countries contribute concise and informative advice on bespoke larp design to this practical and instantly useful book. Larp Design explores the tools and principles of designing collaborative, rules-light larp. Today this tradition, originating in the Nordic countries and centred on the annual Knutepunkt conference, is an international movement.
},
keywords = {Accessibility, Experience design, Game design, Larp, Larp design, Live-action role playing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {book}
}
How do you create a new and original larp from scratch? How do you go from idea to execution and to debriefing? What do you need to know about designing workshops, character creation, worldbuilding, the soundscape, metatechniques, debriefing, and all the other parts of creating a role-play experience?
More than 60 larpwrights from ten countries contribute concise and informative advice on bespoke larp design to this practical and instantly useful book. Larp Design explores the tools and principles of designing collaborative, rules-light larp. Today this tradition, originating in the Nordic countries and centred on the annual Knutepunkt conference, is an international movement.
More than 60 larpwrights from ten countries contribute concise and informative advice on bespoke larp design to this practical and instantly useful book. Larp Design explores the tools and principles of designing collaborative, rules-light larp. Today this tradition, originating in the Nordic countries and centred on the annual Knutepunkt conference, is an international movement.
Stenros, Jaakko; Montola, Markus
Basic Concepts in Larp Design other
2019.
Links | Tags: Game design, Larp, Larp design, Live-action role playing
@other{Stenros2019c,
title = {Basic Concepts in Larp Design},
author = {Jaakko Stenros and Markus Montola},
editor = {Johanna Koljonen and Jaakko Stenros and Anne Serup Grove and Aina Skjønsfjell and Elin Nilsen},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-2260-1},
isbn = {978-87-971140-0-1},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-07},
booktitle = {Larp Design: Creating Role-Play Experiences},
pages = {16-21},
publisher = {Landsforeningen Bifrost},
keywords = {Game design, Larp, Larp design, Live-action role playing},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {other}
}
Innocent, Troy; Leorke, Dale
Heightened Intensity: Reflecting on Player Experiences in Wayfinder Live Journal Article
In: Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, vol. 25, iss. 1, pp. 18-39, 2019, ISSN: 1354-8565.
Abstract | Links | Tags: Digital games, Game design, Location-based game, Materiality, Mobile media, Play and public space, Playable cities, Psychogeography, Urban codemaking, Urban play
@article{Innocent2019,
title = {Heightened Intensity: Reflecting on Player Experiences in Wayfinder Live},
author = {Troy Innocent and Dale Leorke},
url = {https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202101131253},
doi = {10.1177/1354856518822427},
issn = {1354-8565},
year = {2019},
date = {2019-02-01},
journal = {Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies},
volume = {25},
issue = {1},
pages = {18-39},
abstract = {Location-based games use smartphones and other location-aware devices to incorporate their players’ actions in everyday, physical spaces – the streets and public spaces of the city – into the virtual world of the game. Scholars and designers of these games often claim that they reconfigure their players’ relationship with the people and environment around them. They argue these games either engage and immerse players more deeply in the spaces of the game or distance and detach them from the physical environment through the screen interface. To date, however, relatively few detailed empirical studies of these games have been undertaken to test out and critique these claims. This article presents a study of the 2017 iteration of the location-based augmented reality game Wayfinder Live, in which players use their phones to search for and scan urban codes hidden across Melbourne’s laneways, alleys, and public spaces. Players of the game were interviewed and invited to reflect on their experience. This article relates these experiences to the design and development of the game, particularly to five play design principles that characterize its approach to haptic play in urban space. We begin by outlining these principles and the motivations behind them. Then, drawing on an analysis of the player interviews, we evaluate the impact of the game on their perception of the city.},
keywords = {Digital games, Game design, Location-based game, Materiality, Mobile media, Play and public space, Playable cities, Psychogeography, Urban codemaking, Urban play},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Location-based games use smartphones and other location-aware devices to incorporate their players’ actions in everyday, physical spaces – the streets and public spaces of the city – into the virtual world of the game. Scholars and designers of these games often claim that they reconfigure their players’ relationship with the people and environment around them. They argue these games either engage and immerse players more deeply in the spaces of the game or distance and detach them from the physical environment through the screen interface. To date, however, relatively few detailed empirical studies of these games have been undertaken to test out and critique these claims. This article presents a study of the 2017 iteration of the location-based augmented reality game Wayfinder Live, in which players use their phones to search for and scan urban codes hidden across Melbourne’s laneways, alleys, and public spaces. Players of the game were interviewed and invited to reflect on their experience. This article relates these experiences to the design and development of the game, particularly to five play design principles that characterize its approach to haptic play in urban space. We begin by outlining these principles and the motivations behind them. Then, drawing on an analysis of the player interviews, we evaluate the impact of the game on their perception of the city.