Game Design
Games are difficult to convey on a screen—at least the kind of games I try to make. I am interested in the world-shaping kinds of games that have been played in religious contexts, as well as the possibility of their reemerging in the 21st century.
Green Felt, Green Pastures
Union Theological Seminary in New York City invited me to create a games-based chapel service. It was centered around the rules of blackjack and Psalm 23. Ron Grimes, the architect of the field of ritual studies, was on hand to document the experience. The link above leads to an article about it in Killing the Buddha, and Ron’s video of the event can be seen here.
Shabbat-put!
“Olympic Games. Sabbath Rules.” Teams problem-solve how they would accomplish Olympic events while strictly observing the Orthodox Jewish sabbath. Won a best-in-show award at the Come Out & Play festival in Brooklyn, played at the Southbank Centre in London and rated an interview with my Radiolab hero Robert Krulwich.
Sacrifice Play
A reimagining of the great meso-American ballgame, with a focus on the historical enigma of what happened when players were sacrificed courtside. While the rules of ullamitztli are loosely observed, “ghost players” can influence the game after their demise. Played at Come Out and Play in Brooklyn (and a games festival in Pittsburgh that I can’t recall the name of).
The Hush
An encounter between freeze tag and the call to prayer. Players’ cell phones call to five random moments of reflection throughout the day — and when they come, players are completely, utterly silent. A tag team progression causes a wave of reflection and cascading poetry. Played in Eskisehir, Turkey, at the Come out and Play festival in San Francisco and at Hide&Seek London.
The Ten-Year Game
My poor opus that has never seen the light of day. This game lasts a decade and borrows heavily from my study of religion and games. The player’s manual is in book form and is currently looking for an adventurous publisher.