Radical Jamming: Sketching Radical Design Principles for Game Creation Workshops

This article is based on two observations about game production culture, first that there is a demographic mismatch between those who make games and those who play them [1], and secondly that through their organization, setting, and constraints, game jams and other creation events can encourage radical game design principles, values beyond the common practice [3]. This study discusses how facilitators might introduce radical game design values in their events, using thematic, technological, and expressive strategies. Adopting a reflective design lens [2] it critically reviews the design of a game creation workshop for technology novices. It thus reflects on how event organizers can practice their role as cultural intermediaries [10] to support the development of game expressions beyond the norm.