Dichotomy Board Game

Dichotomy is a turn-based competitive board/strategy game that could be played between 2 to 6 players in which players make choices at each step, taking into account the behavior of the other players. To win the game, good strategy with the factor of luck must be present together. The game can be played at different difficulty levels depending on the preference of the player group.

Disclaimer: The game draft is in the hypothetical phase. As it has not been tested, it may contain unforeseen logical problems or imbalanced cases.

Setup

The game space is created through combining hexagonal cards (module or dichotomy cards) to form a big hexagon form (map or board). Dichotomy cards are arranged randomly on the hexagonal game map. This condition introduces the factor of luck and creates an slightly different variation for each game. Map size is adjusted to include 13 module cards on the diagonal. Each session is aimed to last between 25-40 minutes to avoid the game becoming repetitive and overwhelming.

Each player starts on a corner of the hexagonal map. Players’ positions relative to each other are positioned so that they are uniformly distributed across the game board.

Mechanics

Each player starts the game with five basic stats. These are Health, Hunger, Stamina, Strength and Speed. Dichotomy cards show the player’s position on the map. Only one player can be on a card at a time. Rotating on clockwise, players move by choosing one of the cards adjacent to their current dichotomy card. Each dichotomy card gives one negative and one positive property, e.g. +1 speed, -1 hunger. Players have stats that affected by dichotomy cards.

Icon	Stat	Limit	Description
	Heal	6	Allows to player endure bad conditions if reaches zero, player dies.
	Hunger	6	Decreases one on each step if reaches zero player dies.
	Strength	4	Power of player to handle encounters. Either against card or players.
	Stamina	4	Decreases one on each step. If zero player must one turn to gain.
	Speed	3	Determines how many tiles player could move at once.

Tracking player stats Each player gets a player card that has slot for cardriges of each stat. As player moves on the dichotomy card, one applies the stat changes on their card by giving/taking color distincted stat cardridges. Player cannot fill more than maximum amount of the stat. Each player should explicitly show their stat cards to other players.

The game can be won in more in various ways

• By eliminating all the other players
• Reaching the safe zone in the middle
• By visiting 3 players starting place and acquiring their spawnstones.

Dichotomy Cards are step-over decisions that affects player stats. It contains minimum 3 basic information. These are: name of the card, positive aspect, and negative aspect.

Dichotomy Card Levels There are three groups of dichotomy cards distinguished by color. These groups are there to prevent players from moving around the map with uniform ease, and to create some alignment rules to prevent randomization from creating cul de sac situations that players lose at the early game. In other words, randomization is intended to introduce the factor of luck into the game, whereas alignment rules are there to prevent chance of being the dominant factor and overriding the player’s decisions.

Step over preventation The card the player steps on is flipped over and grayed out. This card loses its effect until the player exits the adjacent cards. At the end of each round the non-adjacent cards are reactivated. In order to win the game, the player needs to create a progressive strategy by balancing their stats on the maps and reading the actions of the other players.

Dichotomy Card Examples

• Variations of dichotomy card is to be added considering the balance to extend the complexity of game.

Player versus Player Player could attack and kill other players. To hit another player, target player should be in the attack range by the player. Attacking another player costs 1 hunger and energy equal to players strength. If attacker players energy lesser than his/her strength, then player hit strength is regarded equivalent to as his/her stamina. Hit amount is decreased from attacked player’s health. If it the health of attacked player reaches zero. Attacked player dies and attacker takes the position of attacked player, otherwise positions stays same.

Modes and Variations

• Complexity Level 1:

  • There are certain single-use items added on the map with some rules. That enhances the stats extensively beyond limits, or provides unique abiltiy
  • ex. bow, bicycle etc.

• Complexity Level 2:

  • Players have a technology tree and materials among map to create items in complexity level 2.
  • ex. Research cooking, weapon craft

• Immortal mode:

  • the killed player reborns on starting zone. Loses his collected spawnstones

Story

In a post-apocalyptic world, there is scarce of sources to accommodate all. Survivalists compete against each other against each other to live.

Theory

The statement decisions comes with trade-offs holds the subtle message of this game. One of the principles that I have adopted in the late stage of my life as I have learned through experience. I encounter often the falsification about the perception of the concept of decision. As it to be regarded something to gain but at the same time not to lose. A decision, choosing one of the two or more options. It opens up a new path, but it also means that other paths are closed. It might seem about a cruel reality. Yet it bear an austere elegance and beauty because decisions are the mere qualities of character that describes who we are. Accepting the responsibility of two-sided condition of a decision not only make us more mature but progress as a being. As a result, the game aimed to express the statement in an entertaining way.

References and Credits

Visual References

1. All figures in the article produced by the author.
2. Icons used in Table 1 is from Shikashi’s Fantasy Icons Pack. Images are manipulated by the author.

Used Assets

1. Shikashi’s Fantasy Icons Pack. n.d. Accessed (25-Jan-2023) https://cheekyinkling.itch.io/shikashis-fantasy-icons-pack

Used Sources

1. Blender Hand Drawn Shader Tutorial. Littlerolz - Youtube [Video File]. 2019. Accessed (19-Jan-2023) https://youtu.be/YDHGm1W0A-c
2. Hexagon World with Geometry Nodes Fields - Blender 3.0 Tutorial. Erindale - Youtube [Video File]. 2022. Accessed (19-Jan-2023) https://youtu.be/EboNtLKn_m8

Used Programs

1. Adobe Photoshop CC
2. Blender 3.4.1

Swapfold

Description

Swapfold is a single player origami puzzle/storyline-rpg mix top-down platformer game with a unique fundamental feature. Players must replicate actions on real world in order to find some solutions to puzzles. The main idea of the game to establishing a ground to show that games has potential as an environment to be a platform of education. On the completition of the game player should be able to learn few origami pieces through the method of associative learning.

Base Gameplay

Gameplay starts with a simple platformer game with moving around and exploring the world. With a simple mixed combat and puzzle feature for complex spells. Like a cookbook analogy in programming our character learns simple unitary modular folding techniques to create simple origami pieces, each of which associated with a power word, that could be used combine and casts spells ingame. This techniques progresss further on a skill tree. It is aimed that the skill tree also resembles what player learned in real life as well. On each chapter player requires to create an origami piece. Writing a mark on number on each fold. At the end opening crafted origami piece on 2D reveals a map on how to solve a puzzle in game.

Each power word is associated with a folding technique. Player uses keyboard shortcuts to cast power words. Spells are usually combination of (usually 3 or 4) few power words. In RPG combat player must cast spells. A complex set of power words represent portals as well as origami pieces.

Each power word is learned through a simple puzzle.

Mechanics

Basic game mechanics is a adjusted combination of two main mechanics. Those are moderate paced, environmentally interactive top-down RPG game play and puzzle solving.

Spell Word Combinations
Each spell is combination of one or more power words. During RPG combat, player uses the combination of power words through button combos to cast spell to overcome challenges. This combinations further helps player to solve puzzles through replicating origami pieces in real life.
Example systems in real games (Ultima Online, Skyrim, Magicka).

Progressive Casting
Casting a spell requires a small amount of time. Each cast process has three periods. Those are: fizzle, success, excession. With the analogy of cooking, fizzle states represents a failing cast. If player ends casts too early, spell fizzles, simply fails without any effect. After the end of fizzle, success period begins. During success, effect of spell increases exponantially until until excession period. The latest stage of the cast is excession period. Excession state is guaranteed failing cast and harms the player depending on the combination of spells. The harm is maximum at start and decreases parabolically up to half of maximum success effect.

On the combinations, different power words affect the cast time and proportions of the cast periods. Along with the mastery and usage frequency of the player. Through the mix of spell word combination and progressive casting, it is aimed to create create precision input button combos, fun to play but hard to master base combat mechanics of the game.

Real World Replication
Player requires to solve a puzzle a to unlock, final chapter battles in game. A typical puzzle is again combination of power words, ingredients or keys to be used on certain sequence or places. This sequence is revealed through creating an origami piece through instructions explored in sub-chapters. On each fold player writes a power word on paper in real world. After completing and unfolding the origami piece, map for solving the puzzle is revealed. The sequence of instructions, and words are randomized to create unique map for each instance of the game.

Example Puzzle Chapter

• Game consist of chapters each chapters corresponds an origami piece, and chapters consists of sub-chapters each of one corresponds to fold-technique.
• During sub-chapter with different hints player learns origami by retrieving knowledge such as which fold-technique to be used, how many times and where. Player could replicate this information step to create origami piece.
• On certain steps, player are given some additional power words (as runes) for portal keys. On this case, the given rune needs to be written on indicated area before applying the fold.
• Completing the chapter, will result to complete the origami as well. However, to unlock next chapter, player requires to handle a boss fight. The boss fight room always resembles the unfolded paper of origami piece. On certain periods, boss stops and an area is indicated by color or light. On this time player should go to given area and cast the passing power word in given time.
• If player had replicated given fold techniques in real life, unfolding the origami should reveal the true power words, in that player could use true power word to cast the portal.
• Upon completing successful RPG boss fight with the combination of origami puzzle player defeats the boss and gains access to the new chapter. Along with learning an origami in real life.

Puzzle Generation Steps

1. Description selected origami for the chapter as a composition of folding steps.
2. Decision on which steps to write a power rune on fold.
3. Writing of appropriate questline for each fold and rune to reveal map.
4. Design of boss fight mechanics and space that bears resemblance of unfolded origami.

Theory

Environmental Interactions
As a general principle, it is aimed to increase the interaction with the environment for player. Environment is not only frozen entity to move and orient for next encounter but also, something to be aware of and act depending of the requirements of the place. Player should be able to change, alter or impact on the environment. At the same time strategicaly use it for personal progression.
Example cases:

• Frost based spells has multipliers to hit greater to wet enemies.
• Player should avoid using fire spells on environment with dry woods to create fire.
• Player should position themselves tactically to avoid impact boulder rolls, and even use this phenomenon to encounter with enemies.

Integrated Mini Games
One of the problems that I have encountered in online games, that crafted objects costs lesser than material itself. Which is often wrong compared to the real world. The problem is gathering costs labor, however crafting does not, as a result since the material has variety of usage it worth more. To compete with this problem. It is aimed to set alternative progression mechanics such as crafting to be supported by engraved mini games to include and value them in labor. On further extreme, who whole complex game could be considered as a composition of mini games too.
Example cases:

• Progressive casting mechanism given above.
• Lockpicking mechanism in Elder Scrolls series.
• Hacking in Eve Online.

Internal Learning Mechanism
The mechanic requirements to solve puzzles or progression is aimed to be engraved in-game as much as possible. Player should not progress with grind with frozen state of mind, but immerse him/herself in the game content and try to solve a problem to make a progress.
Example casees:

• Trolls could be killed by using fire spells learned through a book (Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 2011)
• On crafting, player must adjust the necessary conditions to create best possible variations of weapon. This information could be retrieved from someone, or something from ingame. To avoid duplication of the solution outside of the game. Given sources are randomized every game. On example, to forge a good sword, player should set the temperature to correct level. The level is described as a color of something (for instance a peach) ingame by someone or some text. Player should get a peach to compare colors to see correct level adjustment.

Technology and Skill Trees
Another factor to establish an immersive environment is to push player to think and theorycraft the problem space created in-game. To create this environment, I consider, technology, and skill trees are good method to create complexity and considering people to think over variances and new possibilities to play and interract with the game. However, I belive skills trees should not shadow the players control over the character. Fundamental success should still be binded to player.

Sub Systems

Time and Date
A time system tracks day/night cycles and calendar to set events. To bind sense of time to certain events such as puzzles or social/unique events ingame that enhances to create more surrounding environment in parallelity with the idea of Gesamkunstwerk.

Inventory
As a fundamental aspect of any role-playing game inventory system is aimed to include in Swapfold. To be able to progress on character, use of materials to create more powerful objects and increase environmental interaction.

Procedural Environment Generation
Describing environment as modules and computationally bind this parts to describe seamlessly transitive places. The idea is to create relatively unique experience on each seed, as well as preventing the rote progression.

• Example games using described system: Diablo series, Valheim, Don’t Starve

Controlled Randomization

• Map randomization: As a part of prodecural environment creation parts of the map is randomly customized
• Puzzle randomization: To prevent same written guide to pass the game without playing it. The fold hints are given randomly to form a unique form for each puzzle instance.

References and Credits

Visual References

1. Figure 1. Basic level origamis selected for each chapter. Figure produced by the author. 2023.

   • Sampled From: Twitter: The Art of Origami. 2020. Accessed (10-Feb-2023) https://twitter.com/PaperFolding101/status/1249763477394161664

2. Figure 2. Fold and Power Word Asssociation on Skill Tree. Figure produced by the author. 2023.

   • Sampled From: Ultima Online Spellbook. n.d. Accessed (14-Feb-2023) https://runuo.theabyss.ru/images/uokr/sitecontent/skill/mysticism/mystbook.jpg
   • Sampled From: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Power Words. 2011. Accessed (14-Feb-2023) https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xBqg1N1taEk/maxresdefault.jpg
   • Sampled From: Elder Futhark n.d. Accessed (13-Feb-2023) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Anglosaxonrunes.svg/1024px-Anglosaxonrunes.svg.png

3. Figure 3. Spell Effect Change In Relation To Cast Periods. Figure produced by the author. 2023.

4. Figure 4. Periods of Cast Bar. Figure produced by the author. 2023.

5. Figure 5. Puzzle Solving Steps Depiction. Figure produced by the author. 2023.

Used Sources

1. 3Blue1Brown. Visualizing quaternions (4d numbers) with stereographic projection. Youtube [Video File]. 2018. Accessed (12-Nov-2021) https://youtu.be/d4EgbgTm0Bgquartenions
2. “Camera Obscura”. In Wikipedia. n.d. Accessed (25-Feb-2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura
3. “Chekhov’s Gun”. In Wikipedia. n.d. Accessed (25-Feb-2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chekhov%27s_gun
4. DevDungeon. The Cookbook Method of Learning Programming Languages. Youtube [Video File]. 2016. Accessed (13-Feb-2023) https://youtu.be/8vmUTz6it5A
5. Lucareilli, C.D.C., Carlo, J. “Parametric modeling simulation for an origami shaped canopy”. Frontiers of Architectural Research. In Researchgate. 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.foar.2019.08.001. Accessed (24-Feb-2023) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335590540_Parametric_modeling_simulation_for_an_origami_shaped_canopy/figures?lo=1
6. Pelley, M.E.Le. “The role of associative history in models of associative learning: a selective review and a hybrid model”. National Library of Medicine. 2004. doi: 10.1080/02724990344000141. Accessed (24-Feb-2023) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15204108/

Game References

1. Arrowhead Game Studios. Magicka. 2011.
   • Spell Word Combinations. n.d. Accessed (15-Feb-2023) https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/magicka_gamepedia/images/6/6c/Magicka_Combinations.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110128021330
2. Bethesda Softworks. Elder Scrolls Series. 1994-2011.
   • Lockpicking Mini Game. 2011. Accessed (12-Feb-2023) https://lparchive.org/Elder-Scrolls-IV-Oblivion/Update%2002/34-34-youcanhearitcantyou.png
3. Blizzard Entertainment. Diablo Series. 1997-2022.
4. CCP Games. Eve Online. 2003.
   • Hacking Mini Game. n.d. Accessed (12-Feb-2023) https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/images/thumb/8/80/Hacking_Indications.png/400px-Hacking_Indications.png
   • Scanning Mini Game. n.d. Accessed (12-Feb-2023) https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoI4Kq_c-oc/maxresdefault.jpg
5. Electronic Arts, Origin Systems, Mythic Entertainment. Ultima Online. 1997.
6. Klei Entertainment, Blitworks. Don’t Starve. 2013.
7. Iron Gate Studio, Fishlabs, Piktiv. Valheim. 2021.
8. Valve Corporation. Portal. 2007.

Used Programs

1. Adobe Photoshop CC
2. Blender 3.4.1

Maze Solver

my first well organized programming project was a maze solver that I have created in 2022. I trained a programming concepts, skills to feel comfortable on the development and simple software architecture to set interface and communicate with the user.

This project is completed by using a tutorial on console level, then UI is implemented though using TKInter library by python and MVP software architecture.

More detailed information about the project and documentation could be accessed from the link below.
Project Link: https://github.com/kutaycoskuner/project_mazepath_visualizer_py

Breakout Clone

On next level I have made a clone version of well known breakout game. I have familiarized myself in Unity game engine tools. And wanted to finish a game from start to end, in most basic version, with menu, UI elements and playable level.

Aim of the game was to be able to famialirize with gaming engines and process of creating a game from start to finish. During the development, I have simulated the base game logic, set up conditions for win and lose, a basic user interface and practiced software architecture patterns to solve certain problems.

Project Link: https://github.com/kutaycoskuner/study_breakout_unity
Playable web version: https://kutaycoskuner.github.io/study_breakout_unity/

Archrist | World of Warcraft Addon

This is my first project on an actual game. I have developed my own addon on World of Warcaft that has many functions mainly helps to organizational tasks and raid control. Again I have trained various computer architecture I have isolated my modules from each other to create protected variations, and communicate between modules. in this project I have also used various libraries to build my interface. Learned to read structed documentation created by other people and use it in my own project.

Project Link: https://github.com/kutaycoskuner/project_archrist_wowaddon_lua
Published version on Curseforge: https://www.curseforge.com/wow/addons/archrist

Topdown RPG Progression in Unity

After completing my first project I wanted to deep dive into more complex game that households subsystems such as inventory, day/light, crafting, skill-trees and growing objects, looting, building etc. To work, I have started to learn repertoire of functilities on 2D TopDown rpg clone. I seek solutions for how to create world by creating and using tile palette. How to put player character and make it move. How to implement inventory system, etc.

Project Link: https://github.com/kutaycoskuner/study_topdown2d_unity

In order to achieve unique artstyle in-games, I have attempted to write my own shaders to simulate weather, light interactions and reflections. Through simulating a pixel art / cel shader on 3D game with camera aligned 2D elements. Below you can see my shader writing attempts. However, they are still primitive.

Used Assets

1. Mystic Woods Asset Pack by GameEndeavor. n.d. Accessed (25-Jan-2023) https://game-endeavor.itch.io/mystic-woods
2. Suzanne by Blender. n.d. Accessed (09-Mar-2022) https://www.blender.org/

Used Sources

1. Gamemaker’s Toolkit. n.d. Accessed (20-Dec-2022) https://www.youtube.com/@GMTK
2. Dynamic 3D Pixel Art Particle Lighting. t3ssel8r - Youtube [Video File]. 2021. Accessed (20-Dec-2022) https://youtu.be/0xJqzUHJ2fI

Quest Writing on Ultima Online

I have written some questlines in Turkish speaking custom Ultima Online servers in the timeline of 2015-2016. Few of them are implemented in-game however stories are shortened to great extend. There are some visuals from implemented ingame content.

Example quests that I have written:

• https://www.worldofuo.com/ascinin-kopegi.html
• https://www.worldofuo.com/hircin-ruth.html
• https://www.worldofuo.com/loranin-koyunu.html

Data Mapping Projects

I have worked on different groups mapping projects through conceptional inquiries on the subject such as data, knowledge, notation, mapping and representation during very enjoyable and fruitful 2019 Fall semester in Architectural History ad Digital Humanities Lab conducted by Prof. Dr. Pelin Yoncacı Arslan.

During the course we have attempted to discover various ways of communication, and transformation between mediums. We have conducted experimental knowledge mapping projects through an article by Friedrich Kittler (1996) and and Travelogues database by Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, mainly by using graph theory by Leonhard Euler and various techniques.

Mapping Friedrich Kittler. The City is a Medium: https://voidnode.github.io/
Mapping Travelogues: https://seozugur.github.io/AH516/

Previous Game Design Attempts

I’ve constantly made short and experimental attempts in different branches of the game development industry, but unfortunately, many of my projects have been abandoned. Below you can see some of my modeling, rigging and animation work in Blender and some of my experiments in the Unity game engine.

Visualization Studies

Between 2014 and 2017, I did a lot of traditional and digital drawing with the aim of becoming a game artist. I was often imitating the works of Ilya Kuvshinov, Adam Adamowicz, Samwise Didier and many other artists I admire. Except imaginative comprehension studies, none of the studies are belong to me intellectually but I drawed them to study.

Some of my visualization studies could reached from:

• https://kutaycoskuner.github.io/visualization
• https://www.artstation.com/kutay_coskuner

Hello world, my name is Kutay Coşkuner, and this is my game design portfolio.

This work has composed of four chapters. While the first three chapters contain my work on game design, in this chapter that I added later, I tried to list the reasons why I wanted to make a game. If you are not willing to read a relatively long essay, you can skip this section.

Otherwise, thank you for your time.

Game as Total Work of Art

I have great affection for analyzing and creating things. Since the childhood I found myself in virtual dimensions of computer games as a vast field of exploration. I am amazed by how people combined designed systems and worlds using mathematics and art to resemble either life itself or non-existent world out of their imaginations.

During my master education I have meet with various concepts and persons that contributed me a lot. One of these concepts were Gesamtkunstwerk, a total work of art. Concept coined by Richard Wagner to describe what he aimed to create rather than aesthetic experience, a new dimension that could surround the experiencing person and make them to feel something immersive and new. I was very excited by this concept because it clearly articulated the idea that imagination and artistic production could offer something more than an aesthetic experience that I was enthusiastic about.

Although Wagner aimed to create this through the medium of opera, today many considers cinema as the new form of total work of art. Cinema is powerful enough for us to feel and experience completely new out of this world. I have no objection to the opinion that cinema. However when I first heard about the concept, first thing come to my mind was Ultima Online. An overengineered mmorpg by Richard Garriott was able to create this dimension for me, with a further point that cinema could not reach in that time, the interaction. Cinema could make people cry, to experience something new but they are rarely include viewer as participant to their world (There are some discrete limited examples such as Black Mirror). In my experience, computer games and architecture are proven to be able to carry the potential of Gesamkunstwerk. They are capable to create, through an extended level of interaction, one could experinnce new world and beyond, one could interact with it though decisions and characteristic features. However due the required complexity of these works, we rarely encounter such games. As a result, I have always had the desire to pass on my experience to others as if I had seen a new color. In order to show people that another life and a better world is possible, the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk offers the power to express this and computer games offer a method.

Platform for Experimentation

Secondly, in 2016 I met with a youtube channel Primer by Justin Helps. He is simulating famous theories through animation, statistics, and computer science. On the one hand, I think the way he presents his thought experiments with statistically based proofs, and on the other hand, the way he expresses it in a clear and very understandable way, and the way he presents it with effort and visualization, I think creates extraordinary works. What the Primer videos made me realize is that they provide an extraordinary platform for data generation, experimentation, and scientific inference in sociology, economic and public science in my analysis of online gaming experiences.

To illustrate this, online games of a certain size and complexity have economies that are like small-scale simulations of real life. By analyzing the ledgers in these economies and analyzing the data, we can clearly observe behavioral patterns that parallel those in the real world. Can people’s behavior change from cooperative to cooperative in crisis situations (See Corrupted Blood Incident - World of Warcraft) How does human behavior change with inflation (Gold Pruning Events - Ultima Online/ World of Warcraft) Can we channel the time people spend having fun into producing functional scientific output (See Project Discovery - Eve online). Some of the conclusions that I find functional in life are that money is not a measure of value but a representation mechanism, and that labor is the real value. The system of risk and reward and the balance of supply and demand advocated by classical economics does not work linearly. To summerize, I think that game platforms can exist as potential and powerful platforms for scientific experimentation and production other than private beneficial purposes, but that this potential is rarely used, although there are examples. As a game designer, I think this potential should be assessed.

Platform for Education

I hesitate to add the third aspect, because previous attempts with similar premises, such as television and youtube, have not worked out so well, but I will add it anyway because it is my peak goal. I think games as an educational platform can contribute to social development to form a better society and environment.

In nature, when we look at the concept of game, we see that it works as a simulation that gives the living being the abilities that prepare it for life. I think a similar template can be applied to counter the current notion of games as a market commodity where entertainment is sold. I think that games have the potential to be not only a means of transmitting functional knowledge, as in the case of survival in nature, but also educational platforms that offer causality to create a more just society, to become bettere over nature and sustainable environment. To extend this idea, I would like to example from architecture (another Gesamkunstwerk) through famous illustration of Panopticon by Michael Foucault.

Foucault has seen architecture as inevitably political action. In other words, architecture changes society through subtle political statements through organizing, controlling, and defining the space. Foucault uses a blatant instance of the Panopticon to concrete his argument. Panopticon is a prison design produced as an idea experiment. The biggest problem of surveillance mechanisms is the numerical proportional difference between the actors. In other words, it is not possible to have a guard watch each prisoner, and it is not efficient either. Panopticon is a cylindrical prison, where in the middle, stands a watchtower for the guards, and prisoners in its perimeters. The overhead light prevents the prisoners from seeing the guards, while the guards are at any angle could observe each individual prisoners. Prisoners cannot know if they are being watched, as they cannot see the guards. Even if the guards are few in number, the prisoners have to act on the assumption that they are being watched. At the theoretical level, the problem is solved only with the spatial organization, namely architecture. Foucault has used it to express how architecture can shape human behavior through an extreme example like Panopticon. Although Foucault’s example is negative and pessimistic, this potential is not only there to establish autocratic control, but to convey the causality phenomena that will make it possible to produce more free, just and sustainable environment for all. Indeed, as a more positive example, psychologist and educator Loris Malaguzzi referred to the place as the “third teacher” on the educational buildings, as it is referred to architecture could play a role to establish values such as equality, justice, freedom for all living beings and nature. ¹

Beyond that, I think I have experimented with the idea that games can be educational platforms. To exemplify at the individual level, I got my thoughts on economics and sociology from my abstracted simulation experiences in games. I have seen how people act in crisis situations. Games taught me the difference between fact and image, and awareness of the ideas such as rhetoric over logic ², on social experiences. I learned the second language English through games, and the idea of the dichotomous relationship between chaos and order ³, which later contributed to my master thesis in architecture. Regardless of the right or wrong of my thoughts, I think that games had a great impact on the formation of my intellectual identity.

To summarize, I believe that games have the potential to be a complete work of art, a platform for experimentation, as well as a platform for education and social development, but this potentials are rare except some subtle extraordinary cases. Just like the value that I have gained from games, I think that by creating works with this potential, I can add new dimensions to the perception of the game and create works that could add value to humanity that has not only have artistic and scientific value but also something that could allows us to create a better, self-sustainable, and fair society.

This is the end of my game design portfolio.
Thank you for your time and attention. :)

Notes

1. Barone, Eric. pseudonym: ConcernedApe. Stardew Valley. 2016. I believe this is very good example of subtle messages on sustainability and supporting local communities.

2. Bethesda Softworks. Elder Scrolls Series. 1994-2011. Schools of magic, illusion and alteration. Ability to progress by the skill speechcraft is genuinely realistic representation.

3. Electronic Arts, Origin Systems, Mythic Entertainment. Ultima Online. 1997. Each character is based on in between position of chaos, order through karma mechanism.

References

1. “Corrupted Blood Incident”. In Wikipedia. 2023. Accessed (28 Mar 2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrupted_Blood_incident

2. “Panopticon”. In Wikipedia. 2023. Accessed (28 Mar 2023) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon

3. “Project Discovery”. In Eve Online [Website]. 2020. Accessed (28 Mar 2023) https://www.eveonline.com/discovery

4. Brown, Mark. How Video Game Economies are Designed. Game Maker’s Toolkit, Youtube [Video File]. 2022. Accessed (28 Mar 2023) https://youtu.be/Zrf1cou_yVo

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