@adrianhon
Founder and former CEO of Six to Start, made Zombies, Run!, wrote "You've Been Played" and "A History of the Future in 100 Objects". Associate Artist at the Traverse Theatre. Writing a book about immersive art. Blog: mssv.net
The epic Battlestar Galactica-inspired larp Odysseus has launched its crowdfunding campaign, attracting €100,000 in the space of five minutes!
It really is one of the most sophisticated and spectacular larps out there, so if you're at all interested in what Nordic larp is like, check it out.
Can't stop thinking about that person who joined the Nordic Larp discord with the immortal words "who up larpin they nords rn"
It gets easier after you die and try again
This really is as fantastic as you'd expect!
I miss the days when the worst thing Ben Thompson could write about was aggregation theory
Pixar’s Hoppers absolutely rules and I cannot *wait* for the absolute firestorm of political discourse to ensure when it releases in the US next week.
Ezra Klein: Mayor Jerry did politics the right way! etc etc
None of this is a surprise – the UK has always undervalued the game industry, and even moreso when it comes to games' artistic merits.
Still, it's yet another example of the UK being stuck in the past. Yes, let's welcome in talented writers and theatremakers. But why not game designers too?
If you're a programmer, you'd be covered by Tech Nation's list of technical skills. But it's unclear whether you'd qualify if you were the designer or writer or even programmer of a really game that didn't excel from a "technical" perspective
So if you win the International Booker Prize, you get to skip the endorsement stage of the visa process, but not if you win a GDC, DICE, BAFTA award, etc.
Otherwise, you need an endorsement, which will be judged by Arts Council England – noted video game experts.
Apropos nothing in particular, I am struck by how the UK Global Talent Visa has no explicit recognition of video game makers.
There's clear guidance for architecture, fashion, film, TV, and theatre, and there's recognition of major literary and art awards, but nothing for games.
Still time to change it!
Finally, Tetris gets Story Mode difficulty
Lest this seem like cashing in, it basically subsidises the cost for everyone else and doesn't include gameplay benefits. In fact I would guess that a lot of the additional tiers have been added at prospective players' request.
Odysseus has lots of other tiers that seem reminiscent of theme parks and Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, like a €350 photoshoot, a €450 exclusive on-board tattoo, and a €900 private tour and chat with the organisers.
This is a similar setup to Bridge Command in London, though in a bigger space and much more expensive.
If you are going to build a massive high-tech set and only use it for part of the year for larps, it makes plenty of sense to "sweat the assets" for different audiences!
Interesting to see that Odysseus – the upcoming BSG-themed blockbuster larp – will be offering a €6000 Fleet Charter tier for in its crowdfunding campaign, targeted for corporate teams and celebrations.
20 players, 2-3 hours w/ briefings, less about role play and more about atmosphere and teamwork
We're still assembling details for our talks, but we will have experts from China, Singapore, US, and UK, including people who've been designing games and running venues for years.
I'm a little amazed at the quality, I'd originally imagined this convention as a lo-fi affair but the demand is huge!
We've just released full details of all TEN games playable at Jubensha Con 2026 this May!
This is likely the widest range of English-language jubensha available at any event, ever, and most of them are wholly or partly-GMed so players get the full jubensha experience. Extremely hyped!
You’ll get paid in exposure (to psychic damage)
Thank you!
Did a 5 minute lightning talk at Social Science Foocamp about using “experimental modes of togetherness” like larp, jubensha, and certain kinds of interactive theatre to solve the loneliness epidemic.
Everyone very intrigued - bodes well since I touch on this in my forthcoming book!
So if you want to learn more about gamification from a game designer, I hope you check it out!
(It's also probably available from you library right now, too!)
I was really honoured that @rangedtouch.bsky.social covered it on Game Studies Study Buddies too!
I'm really proud of the book. I think it explains why gamification became so popular and why it's so hard to do well.
It's had great commentary from really interesting people, too!
Alfie Kohn called it a "smart critique of gamification"; Mina Kimes, Brad DeLong, and Anne Helen Petersen loved it!
Finally, I have some principles for designing ethical gamification.
Make it opt-in, keep rewards and punishments small, don't misrepresent benefits, and work on behalf of players.
Easy! (lol)
The penultimate chapter is a fun comparison of gamification with medieval indulgences. Contrary to popular belief, indulgences weren't just bought – you could earn them through everyday activity, and people tracked them obsessively.
But eventually they ended, and that holds lessons for us now.
I segue into the parallels between QAnon and ARGs. For a lot of people, online conspiracy theorising is incredibly exciting and fun and meaningful, and brings them social connection. Not great!
Then: the creeping gamification of everything. Social media, r/wallstreetbets, gambling.
I'm really proud of my chapter on governments use gamification. I demystify China's social credit score and compare it to financial credit scores in the rest of the world, but the most chilling part is gamification's extensive use in classrooms and colleges through systems like Classdojo.
Next: the gamification of games.
Achievements, loot boxes, XP grinding, compulsion mechanics, and the utter refusal of the game industry *and* many players to confront the fact that games are often designed to maximise engagement for profit, even if it makes people miserable after the fact.
But it can be done, with effort – Zombies, Run! is different from other forms of exercise gamification because it transforms running *while you're running*, not just giving you a badge and points afterwards.
It is also highly specific. It wouldn't work for cycling or swimming!