About Experiments In Play
Experiments in Play is a brand new showcase of inventive and experimental playful experiences that sit at the intersection of games, interactive design, and creative technology.
Featuring work developed by students from the Independent Games & Playable Experience Design MA at Goldsmiths, this unique showcase pushes the bounds of what games can offer as a medium and experiments with the vast capabilities of play. The show explores the possibilities of embodied and immersive storytelling and alternative narrative structures, considers how games are evolving to critically impact on issues of gender, mental health, sexuality and intimacy, and reimagines a world of gaming that champions inclusion and accessibility.
The breadth of work on show includes physical performances and workshops, interactive literature, VR & AR experiences, alternative controllers, and playable works of art, as well as more traditional video game and board game experiences.
Opening Night Gala Speakers
As part of the Experiments in Play showcase we are holding an Opening Night Gala, which will feature a series of talks and a panel discussion on narrative in games from 7:00-8:30pm. We are delighted to announce the following guests:
Federico Fasce
Born in Genova in 1975 Federico has worked in and out the game industry since 1996. He sees himself as a game designer, though lately is questioning what games even mean, and he all in all doesn’t really care as long as people keep making cool things. He has also been an event organiser, a teacher and a mentor. He’s a strong advocate of personal games and he firmly believes that getting more people making games is the way to save the industry and push the form of expression forward.
Florence Smith Nicholls
Florence is a Planning Archaeologist at Museum of London Archaeology. They conduct independent research in the nascent field of archaeogaming, which is the study of the intersection of video games and archaeology. They have published research on the concept of video games as digital dark tourism experiences, and have written for Eurogamer and Haywire.
Pavle Mihajlovic
Pavle Mihajlovic is the co-founder and Technical Director of Flavourworks. He moved to the UK from his native Portugal to start his game development career at 18 at Peter Molyneux's 22cans. He went on to start Flavourworks, where they released Erica, an innovative marriage of games and film published by Sony. Pavle is an active member of the game development community, and has done talks and panels about starting a game studio.
Sofia Romualdo
Sofia Romualdo is a game designer and project manager for Fire Hazard Games, where she creates games for museums, city streets and beyond. Recent examples include The Extraordinary Voyage at the National Maritime Museum Greenwich and The Spitfire Academy Adventure at the RAF Museum. She has recently completed her PhD on location-based game design for museums at the University of Exeter.
Event Code of Conduct
We want the Experiments in Play event to be open and accessible to everyone, and we oppose all discrimination and harrassment in our community. We have drawn up a Code of Conduct, which can be read here. Attendence of the event implies that the participants agree to, and will abide by, these rules.
