“Rethinking Wargames” is an innovative online 3-Player Chess Game that challenges traditional chess’s conflict-centric politics. Players can modify rules and create unique board images, reflecting on the agency of civilians in global politics. The game’s inspiration arose from Ruth Catlow’s experience during the 2003 London protest against the Iraq War, paralleling the pawns of chess with civilian protests. The project seeks to disrupt existing power structures by reimagining chess as a platform for cooperation rather than competition. It incorporates contributions from various participants globally, with plans for further promotion and tournaments. Despite challenges in gaining interest from the professional chess community, the game has found use in educational peace studies, emphasizing its potential as an activist tool.
| name | description | change | 10-year | driving-force | relevancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rethinking Traditional Games | Transforming traditional games like chess to reflect modern political contexts. | Shifting from traditional, rigid game structures to fluid, adaptable gameplay that reflects contemporary issues. | Games will increasingly incorporate social issues, promoting collaboration and critical thinking among players. | A growing awareness of social justice and a desire for collaborative problem-solving in gaming. | 4 |
| Online Activism through Gaming | Use of online games to promote peace and challenge power structures. | From games as mere entertainment to tools for activism and social change. | Online games will serve as platforms for activism, encouraging players to engage with social issues. | The increasing intersection of technology, gaming, and social activism. | 5 |
| Collaborative Game Development | Involvement of diverse participants in developing game rules and concepts. | From individual game design to collective creativity, inviting contributions from various stakeholders. | Game development will be more inclusive, encouraging diverse voices and perspectives in design processes. | A shift towards democratization of creative processes in gaming and art. | 4 |
| Alternative Conflict Narratives | Games challenging traditional narratives of conflict and competition. | From one-dimensional views of conflict to nuanced understandings that highlight cooperation. | Games will increasingly depict complex narratives that explore cooperation over competition. | A societal push for narratives that emphasize understanding and collaboration in conflict resolution. | 4 |
| Integration of Peace Education in Gaming | Utilizing games as educational tools for promoting peace and cooperation. | From games focused on competition to those that teach cooperation and conflict resolution. | Educational games will be more prevalent, focusing on peace-building and cooperative strategies. | The growing recognition of the importance of peace education in fostering global citizenship. | 5 |
| Public Space Gaming | Chess and similar games played in public spaces to engage communities. | From private, isolated game playing to community engagement in public spaces. | Public gaming events will become common, promoting community interaction and dialogue. | A desire for community building and social interaction in urban environments. | 3 |
| name | description | relevancy |
|---|---|---|
| Civilians’ Agency in War | The game highlights the potential for civilians to influence political change and challenge existing power structures. | 4 |
| Shift in Game Dynamics | The transformation of traditional chess into a platform for exploring social and political issues may challenge conventional perceptions of competitive games. | 3 |
| Normalization of Conflict | The blending of gaming with war themes may desensitize players to real-world violence and conflict. | 4 |
| Gender Representation in Gaming | The predominance of male players and hierarchical structures in chess may limit diverse participation and perspectives. | 3 |
| Activism Through Gaming | Using games as tools for activism raises questions about their effectiveness and potential backlash from traditionalists. | 4 |
| Cultural Misinterpretation | The reinterpretation of chess may provoke misunderstandings among purists and lead to resistance against innovative approaches. | 3 |
| Impact of Digital Interactive Art | Digital art and interactive experiences can influence public perception of social issues, blurring the line between entertainment and activism. | 4 |
| name | description | relevancy |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Rule-Making | Players can change the rules of chess, allowing for a more collaborative and creative gameplay experience. | 4 |
| Civic Agency in Gaming | The game reflects the agency of civilians, encouraging players to think critically about their role in world politics through gameplay. | 5 |
| Artistic Intervention in Games | The project integrates artistic concepts into game design, challenging traditional notions of competition and conflict. | 4 |
| Online Community Engagement | The development of the game involves input from a global community, promoting diverse perspectives and collaborative creativity. | 5 |
| Peace Education through Gaming | The game is being used in educational contexts to promote peace studies, highlighting the potential of games as tools for social change. | 5 |
| Deconstruction of Traditional Games | The project seeks to deconstruct traditional gaming frameworks, questioning their inherent power dynamics and structures. | 4 |
| Humor in Game Responses | Responses to the game reveal a spectrum of emotional reactions, including humor, which can be informative about societal attitudes toward conflict. | 3 |
| Public Space Gaming | Plans for impromptu chess tournaments in public spaces aim to democratize the game and engage broader audiences. | 4 |
| name | description | relevancy |
|---|---|---|
| Online Collaborative Gaming | A platform allowing players to modify rules and engage in collaborative gameplay, questioning traditional game dynamics. | 4 |
| Activist Gaming | Games designed to promote peace and challenge power structures through interactive experiences. | 5 |
| Networked Media Arts | Utilizing online forums and collaborative networks to engage communities in participatory art and gaming. | 4 |
| Deconstructive Game Design | A gaming approach that reworks traditional games to provoke self-questioning and critical thought among players. | 5 |
| Peace-Promoting Game Mechanics | Game elements that encourage peaceful interactions and cooperation among players instead of competition. | 5 |
| Remote Interactive Installations | Exhibits that allow remote participants to engage with physical installations and online games simultaneously. | 4 |
| Experimental Chess Variants | Innovative adaptations of chess that introduce new rules and dynamics to challenge conventional gameplay. | 5 |
| name | description | relevancy |
|---|---|---|
| Reimagining Conflict through Games | The evolution of traditional games like chess into platforms for questioning and challenging power dynamics and conflict. | 4 |
| Civic Agency in Politics | The growing recognition of civilian agency and collective action in political discourse, especially in the context of war and peace. | 5 |
| Art and Activism in Gaming | The intersection of art and video games as tools for activism, promoting peace and social change through interactive experiences. | 4 |
| Alternative Narratives in War Representation | The shift from traditional narratives of war towards more nuanced and collaborative perspectives that emphasize shared humanity. | 5 |
| Gender Dynamics in Gaming Communities | The challenge of engaging diverse voices and addressing the gender imbalance in gaming and chess communities. | 4 |
| Online Collaboration and Community Building | The potential of online platforms to foster collaboration among diverse participants in the creation and evolution of games. | 4 |
| Educational Uses of Game Design | The adoption of innovative game designs in educational contexts, such as peace studies, to engage students in critical thinking. | 3 |
| Skepticism towards Traditional Research Methods | The critique of conventional questionnaires and research methods in favor of more engaging and inclusive approaches. | 3 |