Most designers think of games as a technological field, and why not? Digital games require an array of technical skills to produce. Increasingly though, game designers with backgrounds in the arts and humanities: artists, writers, animators, musicians, and so on; are finding ways to connect their game work with centuries of cultural works. In this design talk, game designer and Kent State University professor Christopher Totten describes his process for creating award-winning digital and non-digital games based on historic works in the arts and humanities. Totten has produced everything from card games to video games, and even games criticism, based on art, literature, and architecture. He has also curated museum exhibitions of games, and has extensive experience teaching about the connections between games and the arts. Topics for the talk include: - Selecting works to be the basis of your game: historic inspiration, public domain works, and old-fashioned opportunism - Designing game mechanics based on works of art and literature - Choosing a medium—digital, non-digital, arcade, etc.—for games based on artworks - Finding opportunities to sell or exhibit your art and humanities-inspired games: museums, competitions, education, and using your inspirations as a unique selling point - Collaboration opportunities with schools, museums, and others As game design gains ground in the digital humanities, education, academic criticism, and in museum collections, finding connections between games and the arts is more important than ever. This talk shows attendees how to navigate this growing sector of the industry and create meaningful and novel games.
