Semester Topic:
Architectonics of Role-Play: Social, Spacial, and Narrative Mechanics

This Winter Semester at Let's Get Mechanical! we will look at role-playing and storytelling games as a medium for artistic expression, research, and critical play.

Thes focus of this semester will be how game mechanics and language allow us to create and assume roles, conjure and inhabit shared imaginary spaces, as well as negotiate rules of play. 

We will play and experiment with tabletop role-playing games (TRPGS, as the most accessible form of imaginative gaming), experimental narrative games, hypertext poetry, ergodic literature, as well as some more mainstream digital games.

Rather than approaching games as rules systems or entertainment products, we will look at them as frameworks of social interaction that use game mechanics to create and convey meaning. We will learn how game and narrative mechanics can be used for artistic projects and take a deep dive into how language can be viewed as a tool for play.

Attendance and participation

Submission of a short paper or essay

This course is held in English.

The class will take place at the Experimental Game Cultures main studio – GCP (former: PSK) Georg Coch Platz 2, 1st floor (studio 152).

Class capacity might be limited, priority will be given to Experimental Game Cultures students. Please attend the first session to confirm your registration!