Who am I? How do I live a good life? What is reality? Such perennial questions may seem remote from the pleasures of playing videogames for entertainment and fantasy. Yet gamers too, in the midst of having fun, are potentially embarked upon a quest for understanding and for meaning. “Missions for Thoughtful Gamers” presents a sequence of 40 challenges, ranging from thought experiments to design exercises, each one inviting players to become more creatively curious and self-aware.
DEMO / The Gamer’s Oath
TUTORIAL / Playthinking
EPISODE 1: HIDDEN LANDS / Videogames as enquiry
BOSS FIGHT / Exploring ‘violence’
EPISODE 2: THE INNERMOST CAVE / Gnōthi sauton (know thyself )
SIDE QUESTS AND MINI-GAMES / Scholarly gaming
EPILOGUE / Gaming’s highest ideals
For more information, and to purchase or download a copy, visit:
http://www.etc.cmu.edu/etcpress/
http://www.etc.cmu.edu/etcpress/content/missions-thoughtful-gamers