• Introducing Game Studies with Small Worlds

    Author(s):
    Amanda Phillips
    Editor(s):
    Amanda Phillips
    Date:
    2020
    Subject(s):
    Design, Rhetoric
    Item Type:
    Course Material or learning objects
    Tag(s):
    DPiH, DPiH Gaming, DPih Course Material or learning objects, In-class activity, Digital pedagogy
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/5dxe-fs05
    Abstract:
    Curatorial note from Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities: David Shute’s Small Worlds (currently available at jayisgames.com/games/small-worlds/) is an exploration game in which a figure navigates a series of moody, pixelated worlds shrouded in darkness. Each scene begins zoomed closely on the avatar, and exploration reveals more of the background while the camera gradually zooms out. Uncovering these small worlds reveals a minimalist environmental narrative—an elegant example of narrative architecture with dystopian science fiction undertones. This lesson plan offers suggestions for leading a class discussion about games using Small Worlds as an example. In a humanities classroom, it facilitates conversations about the fundamental properties of games, including the centrality of space and movement to narrative in games and how simple mechanics (such as the widening field of view) can encourage the gamer to perform specific tasks without explicit instructions. Understanding the unique aesthetic and rhetorical properties of games can lead to discussions about how other media use different representational and persuasive strategies.
    Notes:
    This deposit is part of Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities. Digital Pedagogy in the Humanities is a peer-reviewed, open-access publication edited by Rebecca Frost Davis, Matthew K. Gold, Katherine D. Harris, and Jentery Sayers, and published by the Modern Language Association. https://digitalpedagogy.hcommons.org/.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    3 years ago
    License:
    Attribution-NonCommercial

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