Game Studies & Criticism 101 3700-KON14-AL-OG

This seminar will cover major trends in game studies, available methods and unique challenges of game analysis, and elements of game design. The course aims to teach the students an analytical approach to digital games, and challenges them to recognize in games and play not just a leisure activity, but also as an artistic and persuasive medium.

Class topics include, but are not limited to: definitions of “games”, free-to-play as well as serious/persuasive games, artistic and non-games, dark game design patterns, and electronic sports (esports), which provide us with an opportunity to see games as work, but also a spectacle. Alongside critical approaches to games themselves, we shall discuss game-related phenomena, such as gamification.

For the discussions to be fruitful, students will have to read relevant literature (such as book chapters, scholarly papers on games, and blogs by game critics), but also play games and watch game-related videos (let’s plays, gamethroughs, and e-sport matches).

The course will NOT be dealing with programming or IT, but rather – game criticism and scholarly approaches to games and play in humanities.

Type of course

general courses

Prerequisites (description)

(in Polish) Biegła znajomość języka angielskiego

Learning outcomes

- Student knows the main methods of game analysis and interpretation.
- Student has a basic knowledge of the latest achievements of interdisciplinary research methods in game studies.
- Student is able to select and interpret information from various textual and electronic sources.
- Student possesses basic skills in using interdisciplinary research methods and tools to analyze games and related phenomena.
- Student is able to present the results of their own analysis of research problems in oral and written form.
- Student understands the dynamics of scientific, cultural and social development and keeps up with new research methods and paradigms.
- Student has the capacity to accurately analyze the means to completing the task at hand.

Assessment criteria

Participation in classes, homework, short (5 min.) informative presentation demonstrating acquired critical skills. Up to 2 absences are allowed.

Bibliography

Books and anthologies:
I. Bogost, How to Do Things with Videogames.
I. Bogost, How to Talk about Videogames.
J. Juul, Sztuka przegrywania. Esej o bólu, jaki wywołują gry wideo.
K. Jorgensen, Gameworld Interfaces.
M. Garda, Interaktywne fantasy. Gatunek w grach cyfrowych.
P. Kubiński, Gry wideo. Zarys poetyki.
Papers:
M. Eskelinen, The Gaming Situation
M. Petrowicz, Podstępne wzorce projektowe w grach komputerowych. O tworzeniu gier wbrew interesom graczy
M. Petrowicz, Zasady przeciw immersji. Zaangażowanie w narrację i zaangażowanie w system formalny gry.
P. Kubiński, Emersja – antyiluzyjny wymiar gier wideo
P. Sterczewski, Czytanie gry. O proceduralnej retoryce jako metodzie analizy ideologicznej gier komputerowych
R. Hunicke, M. LeBlanck, R. Zubek, MDA: A Formal Approach to Game design and Game Research
Scientific journals:
„Game Studies. The International Journal of Computer Game Research”
„Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture”
„Homo Ludens. Czasopismo ludologiczne Polskiego Towarzystwa Badania Gier”
„Journal of Games Criticism”
„Replay. The Polish Journal of Game Studies”
Blogs and vlogs:
A. Sarkeesian, „Feminist Frequency”
B. Keogh, blog autorski
C. Ellison, blog autorski
C. Hocking, „click nothing. design from a long time ago”
M. Falkowska., „Altergranie”
P. Schreiber, O. Szewczyk i in., „Jawne Sny”

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3700-KON14-AL-OG in USOSweb