Games are a hot commodity and everyone from corporations to NGO’s want a piece of the pie. Being new and unfamiliar these games often become culturally invasive, and don’t take into account the existing cultures of play in their intended audiences. Aside from passing down essential information, these games aim to “re-educate” people in the act of “fun”. Here, Ben Norskov and I discuss the 4-part guidelines we use at Antidote for making games in the true spirit of play: as inclusive, engaging experiences for everyone. Here we discuss ways to reduce the invasive impact of forcing fun.

1. by Mohini Dutta + Ben Norskov
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
FLEXIBLE
TIMES NEED
FLEXIBLE
GAME DESIGN

2. HOW DO
WE GAME?
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
PLAY is older than culture,
for culture, however
inadequately defined, always
presupposes human society,
and animals have not waited
for man to teach them their
playing
Image: Johan Huizinga
Everyone plays, and we play
the games we are familiar
with, grew up with, or heard
stories

3. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Image: “Pallankuzhi Board”, South Indian Mankala style game
ANCIENT
GAMES

4. MODERN
GAMES
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
THIS IS THE
FUTURE, KEN!
Games are imitating life, and
life is imitating games

5. HOW DO WE MAKE
GAMES?
*GAME POLICE assures us that All Gamers Look Like This
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote

6. WAYS WE MAKE
GAMES
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Image: The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell
Techniques differ, but
priorities don’t

7. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Image: Dan Cook, Skill Atoms, Game Loops & Arcs

8. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Image: Dan Cook, Skill Atoms, Game Loops & Arcs
WHAT IS
MISSING?

9. CULTURE
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Our design methodologies account for
system, interaction, narrative, & aesthetic,
but are homogenous about both
play culture & player culture

10. DO
GAMES
AND
CULTURE
INTERACT
WITH
EACH
OTHER?
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
IT’S LIKE I DON’T
EVEN KNOW
WHO YOU ARE...

11. WHY DO
WE
NEED
OTHER
WAYS
OF
DESIGN?
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
DIFFERENT
BRANCHES FOR
DIFFERENT GOATS!
¡VIVA LA
REVOLUCION!

12. IMPERIALISM
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Forcing people to play games the way you
play games is cultural imperialism.

13. WHO ARE Y’
ALL AGAIN?
MEOW…?
CAN WE
MAKE
GAMES
FOR
PEOPLE
WE DON’T
KNOW?
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote

14. CULTURE
MEDIATES
PLAYERS
AND
THEIR
PLAY
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
MY PLAY IS
MY UMWELT!

15. CAN
GAMES BE
DESIGNED
WITHOUT
SPECIFIC
TRAINING
& CRAFT?
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
TWISTY LITTLE
BRANCHES!
COMBINATORICS!

16. DESIGNING FOR
UNIQUE &
VARIED
EXPECTATIONS
IS HARD!
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
RAWR?
MOO!
HISS..
CHIRRP!

17. A Framework for Combating
Cultural Bias in Game Design
Methodologies
MINDFUL
PLAY
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Image: humanitariansoftinder.com

18. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
FORGET YOUR
PLAY CULTURE
1
Image: Monopoly Image: Call Of Duty Black Ops 2

19. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Co-Design Workshop, Philippines 1ADAPT

20. USE
LOCAL OR
FAMILIAR
GAME
ASSETS
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Image:“Stick & Bottle Game”, Co-Design workshop, Indonesia
2

21. www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote
Humans Vs. Mosquitoes (Kenya Version) 2IMPROVISE

22. DESIGN FOR THE
CONVERSATION
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Image: Lampat Banjir, Co-Design Session, Indonesia
3
The goal is
to create a
meaningful
dialogue

23. TWIST IN THE TALE
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Driving Force! 3

24. AVOID ON
THE NOSE
DESIGN
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4
The obvious is
rarely engaging
TRYING TOO
HARD, GOAT...

25. MISDIRECTION
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Broken Cities 4

26. WE ARE PART
OF A
CHANGING
LUDIC
LANDSCAPE
www.playistheantidote.com | @helloAntidote

27. Mohini Dutta + Ben Norskov
www.playistheantidote.com
@helloAntidote
GAMES!
GAMES!
GAMES!I SWEAR
I WILL
JUMP.