Communication through Playful Systems: Presenting scientific worlds the way a game might do

Abstract

More than ever, science is in the unenviable position of competing for the hearts and minds of the public against utterly false accounts of our world. These false accounts are often deeply spiritual, poetic, sublime — despite being false, they can leave a mark on the human imagination. It is difficult to convey scientific research in a way that leaves the audience with a comparable sense of awe or a personal connection to the subject matter. This is an area where games as a cultural form can offer some assistance and insight. A game can convey its complex inner workings with ease by engaging an audience through play. It is expressive communication that sows intuitive understanding and fosters a personal connection between the human player and the represented world. Games like Minecraft and Portal are thus increasingly being used in classrooms to teach math, physics, spatial reasoning, and even the scientific method. I discuss the process of designing interactive experiences in games as a model for effective communication. Drawing on examples from my own work at Double Fine Productions and the work of others, I offer insights from game design to address parallel challenges in scientific communication. I explore ways of introducing an audience to an unfamiliar world through narrative and play. For example, by setting up the rules of an unfamiliar world in an interactive way, especially through iterative problem solving, you can lead a novice audience to a nuanced understanding of that world's complexity without overloading information. These strategies can enhance communication of scientific research in any format.