Toward a Ludic Architecture: The Space of Play and Games Toward a Ludic Architecture is a pioneering publication, architecturally framing play and games as human practices in and of space. Filling the gap in literature, Steffen P. Walz considers game design theory and practice alongside architectural theory and practice, asking: how are play and games architected? What kind of architecture do they produce and in what way does architecture program play and games? What kind of architecture could be produced by playing and gameplaying? DOI: https://doi.org/10.17613/c99bk-m3h10
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ADE for Games: Approaches to Anti-Racism, Decolonization, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Games Research and Creation The last decade has witnessed the emergence of critical game studies and critical games user experience research, coinciding with the proliferation of initiatives advancing EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) in institutions of higher education. But the critical tools, ways of thinking, and best practices for incorporating anti-racist, decolonial, and EDI frameworks are not being promoted and circulated in parallel to the discourses valorizing these approaches. How do we make anti-racism, decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion vital elements of the research and development of games...
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Taylor Swift is the voice of generations. Her words are the soundtrack to our lives. She is the best selling artist of all time with millions of fans who proudly call themselves Swifties. But her legacy is not just her trail of hits, the records she broke, or her tour through the eras - it is her ability to embody our collective emotions, struggles, and triumphs in her art. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Taylor Swift celebrates the icon herself across 13 chapters (it had to be 13, right?) discussing her evolution as a work-in progress person, musical storytelling, and...
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A lot of us have a special game that inspired us to get more deeply involved in making, studying and playing games as part of our professional and personal lives. It may be *the* game for you or just *a* game that means a lot, and you find yourself replaying it regularly. It could even be a couple of games, or a games series, or a game that disappointed you enough that you were inspired to try and make one even better. Whatever the case may be, the contributors to this book have focused on, and analyzed, that game(s), exploring...
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In current digital games, classic fictional worlds are transformed into ludofictional worlds, spaces rich in characters and emotions that are especially affected by the intervention of a player. In this book, we propose a model, inspired by the Semantics of Fiction and Possible Worlds, which is oriented to the analysis of video games as integrated systems. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17613/ypmx5-fh827
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Roll for Learning: 51 Micro Tabletop Role-Playing Games to Use in the Classroom is an edited book featuring a curated collection of original micro tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs). Micro TTRPGs have grown in popularity in recent years, particularly in the game jam space, and offer great potential for classroom use, as these games are intended to be easy to learn and quick to play. Further, TTRPGs are also an emerging field in scholarly texts, so there is a rich literature to draw from when introducing them to instructors. This volume brings together scholars and instructors working on TTRPGs and game...
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Why does the tail wag the brain? What is virtual autism? Why can't our avatars walk hand-in-hand? Will a nonverbal Babel fish save the world? Jeffrey Ventrella, a seasoned virtual worlds programmer and visual language expert, reviews the history of avatars, smileys, and other expressive forms, and considers a future of spectacular creativity. This book combines thoughtful scholarship with amusing anecdotes from the trenches of Silicon Valley. Virtual Body Language presents a thorough analysis of the neurological, linguistic, aesthetic, and technical aspects of how nonverbal communication can be distributed over the internet. Based on nearly a decade of avatar development,...
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Recent times have witnessed an explosion in forms of media that fall under the umbrella of "pop culture". However, no series represents this phenomenon more clearly than Netflix's own Stranger Things. It is a veritable cornucopia of nostalgic cultural references, an offering of the bygone era of the 1980s suburban America. This book brings together scholars from a diverse set of backgrounds to explore why this show engenders such an intense fandom and lasting impact on the human psyche. "A fascinating dive into the psychology of Stranger Things - this book is a must for anyone looking to more deeply...
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Professors at Play AI Playbook The Professors at Play AI PlayBook explores the intersection of playful pedagogy and AI in the higher education classroom. Through specific AI tools and examples, this book encourages educators to embrace AI playfully and creatively to enhance teaching and learning, leveraging human creativity and judgment to make AI a beneficial tool rather than a threat. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17613/2tg4-8w73
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Bluey is an award-winning animated children’s series centering on the titular Bluey: a curious, inexhaustible 7-year old (in human years) anthropomorphized Blue Heeler puppy, and her family - little sister Bingo, mom Chili, and dad Bandit. Although each episode is brief, they’re full of love, heart, and valuable life lessons for both kids and adults. The Psychgeist of Pop Culture: Bluey features both academic and memoir chapters which highlight the parent-child duality of Bluey viewership as well as the show’s playful way of sharing life lessons. The book explores recurrent psychological themes, individual character experiences, and the psychological, emotional, and...
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