Abstract
This chapter establishes critical game design together with speculative design and art games as viable avenues for sustainability action and activism. When applied to game making, these approaches aim at creating play experiences that foster reflection either towards the game form and game development or towards society at large. The chapter investigates examples and techniques of critical/speculative design, art games and game activism offering inspiration for addressing complex topics with no right answers. It explains how ambiguity and alienation facilitate subjective interpretations and meaning making and draws on previous similar practices in theatre and film.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Game Needs to Change Towards Sustainable Game Design |
| Editors | Patrick Prax, Clayton Whittle, Trevin York |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Place of Publication | Boca Raton |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Publication date | 17 Nov 2025 |
| Edition | 1 |
| Chapter | 20 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781032836195 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781003512400 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Nov 2025 |
Keywords
- activism
- Game Design
- Alienation (in design)
- Art games
- Ambiguity (in design), Art games, Critical games, Critical design, Educational games, Ethical agency, Game design, Molleindustria, Serious games, Speculative design, User-unfriendliness (in design)
- Critical games
- Critical design
- Educational games
- Ethical agency
- Molleindustria
- User-unfriendliness (in design)
- Speculative design
- serious games