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The Long COVID Game
This is a facilitator’s guide for The Long COVID Game, an instructional game on the increasing risks of contracting Long COVID with repeated infections. Overview This short (<5min) instructional game can help illustrate the risks of repeated COVID infections and the chance of acquiring Long COVID. It was designed for large groups, such as a…
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Illusions of Space and Time
An Ethical Approach to Temporality in Games This is a pre-print version of an article published in Journal of Gaming & Virtual Worlds, Volume 10, Number 2, 1 June 2018, pp. 115-133(19) Abstract Time is a much-explored topic in game studies, as are questions of historical accuracy and ethics. However, an ethics of time in…
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Abduction, Enaction, & Play
In this post I explore the notion of abduction—inferring what is probable from what is actual—in relation to games and play. Abductive reasoning shares a number of commonalities with the hermeneutic circle and by extension enaction and sensemaking. By taking a closer look at abduction, we gain insight into how players enact the gameworld and…
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Hades & the Hub
Over at The Washington Post Gene Park has written about the roguelike Hades, calling it a ‘masterclass in storytelling.’ If so, it would mark a pivotal step forward for a genre that has had much success when it comes to mechanics and the dynamics of gameplay, but has struggled with a narrative that can meaningfully…
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Responding Safely
In May, VEGA (Violence, Evidence, Guidance, and Action) launched their family violence educational resources through McMaster University. I had the opportunity to work with the VEGA team over a three year period to design and develop interactive modules that would assist healthcare providers in responding safely to family violence. These modules are built into the…