digital archaeology
Why should we treat videogames as archaeological sites?
Archaeologist Florence Smith Nicholls discusses "archaeogaming," mapping the digital traces of Elden Ring, and the hopeful act of "anticipatory archaeology."
Latest
real-time performance
Go to Diskokina to See the Future of Live Performance
I’m exploring Diskokina, the new vanguard of live performance that blends commedia dell'arte and the club. Artists are using game engines to redefine what theater can be.
war
What Happens When You Can Do Nothing in a War Zone?
Alan Kwan's new game, Scent, offers you a role not as a soldier, but as a lone dog wandering a desolate war zone. You are simply a witness without power.
digital identity
Carrie Chen's Digital Avatars Bridge Past and Future
Carrie Chen uses AI, motion capture, and game engines to create digital self-portraits that span generations, interrogating identity across time and space.
game aesthetics
Why P.T. Anderson Gets Away With "Retro" But Games Don't
Why do filmmakers using vintage VistaVision get praised for aesthetic choice while pixel-art games get labeled "retro"? The difference reveals everything.
Documentary
"La vraie vie" Asks What It Means To Be Real In A Fake Place
French filmmakers follow actor Victor Assié through a role-play server in Arma 3, creating a documentary that blurs the line between virtual and real life.
World-Building
Keiken's Morphogenic Angels Imagines Post-Human Bodies 1,000 Years From Now
Keiken—Isabel Ramos, Hana Omori, and Tanya Cruz—merge performance, film, and game design to build optimistic post-human worlds 1,000 years in the future.
live coding
Indira Ardolic's Live-Coding Performances Turn Game Engines Into Instruments
Indira Ardolic uses game engines to create audio-reactive environments for live-coding performances, where bugs and glitches become part of the show.
October Game Club!
behavioral design
Labubus, Loot Boxes and the Gamblification of Everything
From Labubus to loot boxes, gambling mechanics have escaped video games to colonize daily life—turning every transaction into a chance for excitement.
generational memory
Ina Chen Charts Her Family's Journey From Mao to Migration
Artist Ina Chen uses deepfakes, family archives, and interactive technology to bridge generational gaps in a moving performance about Chinese history
Alice Bucknell Soars From Pollination Simulators to Quantum Love Stories
We speak with Alice about why plants make good dance partners, how black holes are really about the wavelength of desire, and why more game artists are trying to "f*ck it up" in multiplayer design.