Analyses

Long-form research analyses of game design repositories

Generative Logics and Conceptual ClicksRe: It is as if you were making love
We share key Grounded Design Theory (GDT) findings from Love’s archive, to demonstrate the possibilities of MDM and to articulate design knowledge specific to Love and Barr’s design practice
2026-06-26
It is as if you were doing workRe: It is as if you were doing work
Work was released by Pippin Barr in July 2017. It presents itself as an application designed to give a sense of purpose to the idle humans of a near future in which all work has been delegated to robots. It takes the form of an early Windows-style desktop environment with modern office-like tasks to be performed through the manipulation of conventional GUI elements, such as sliders, radio buttons, and text boxes (see figure 3). The game was noticed by a number of generalist and specialized publications, most picking up on the game’s social commentary: “A job simulator designed to make you feel useful, chasing your existential anguish. Horrible, isn’t it?” [64], translated from French).
2018-08-07