What do you want academics in religion to know about games?

I successfully completed my Ph.D. in philosophy of religion and theology 2 weeks ago and am speaking at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion - the largest annual gathering of academics in religion and theology in North America - in another 2 weeks. I am part of a panel featuring new voices in the study of religion and video games. My paper is titled "Nontraditional Video Games and the Other."

I've read the work of some other panelists and organizers, and it is sometimes painfully obvious I am the only one coming to this as a gamer. The others are interested in games, sympathetic, and even play them so they are not just talking about things they have never experienced, but that games are not a primary part of their daily lives is clear. This has given me a weird sense of responsibility to represent our beloved hobby well at the panel. So, I'm curious: what would you ask philosophers, academics studying games, and theologians? What would you want to make sure they know? I know this is a broad question, but intentionally so. I welcome all relevant comments.

If anyone is more interested in my paper specifically, the basic point is that some games I'm calling nontraditional (Gone Home, Papers Please, Cart Life, and a few others) are better at making some crucial points academics in this field try to make - specifically claims about "the other" (term made famous by Lithuanian Jew, Holocaust survivor, and philosopher Emmanuel Levinas) and how the others we encounter should be treated. I'm happy to elaborate if that sounds interesting.

So please let me know what all these academics should know or what you would like to ask them. I'm going to record the session for my podcast if everyone involved consents to being recorded, so results may be available for you ears in a few weeks.

Congratulations on your Ph.D.!

I'm curious as to why you chose those games to highlight in your paper. I don't recall Gone Home having any religious themes, and from what little I played of Papers, Please I don't recall there being any religious themes there. Or is "the other" in this case not necessarily religious?

Congrats on the Ph.D! I don't have any questions but I do have a recommendation. Since your main area is religion and philosophy, have you taken a look at The Talos Principle? I think it's a brilliant game and really heavily relies on philosophy and religion. I think both of these are used well in its storytelling, atmosphere and mystery. It might be useful in your research/analysis if you haven't already included it :)

@bladeofcreation: You are correct that "the other" need not be a religious other. All sorts of others - religious, economic, gender, race, nationality - are relevant to religious scholars when they discuss how religious groups treat those others. So despite not being about religion, I argue such games might more effectively engage people with relevant points because games let people interact with the other, in a sense. Personal stories may get Levinas' point across better than even the most practical of philosophical lectures. I even argue because of their length and lower price, most of these games could be assigned as homework in courses.

@mattgiersoni: I know of it and have it on a list of similarly themed games to play. My vague sense of that game is the religious and philosophical stuff is mostly found in voiceover exposition, but I have not played it for more than an hour or so some time ago. A few years ago I was more interested in such games. Now I find myself drawn more to speaking and writing about games that are not obviously about philosophy or religion, but, do to the interactive nature of games, help in tackling social topics related to those fields.

@paul_tillich Ah, I see, you're right, The Talos Principle is very obviously about philosophy and religion, but there's definitely way more happening there and it's way deeper than just voice over exposition, but It's a long game so an hour is definitely not enough to show its true colors. If you're looking for something less obvious, I recommend The Beginner's Guide, it's a very short, max 1-2 hours game/experience but it's hard to describe what it is about, without spoiling. I feel like it's definitely one of the more unique games/interactive experiences. I apologize if you're not looking for suggestions, but I very much like games that are about philosophy and make me think, reflect and question things, so I figured I'd share some of my favorites!

@paul_tillich: I'm going to guess that you're going to argue that video games, traditional or not, are an academically unexplored but effective way to make people emphatize with the Other? That more so than in other media, the interactivity of video games is a gateway into the lives of other people, allowing players to live the life of an LGBTQ teen (Gone Home), a starting entrepeneur (Cart Life), bureaucrat in a totalitarian regime (Papers Please), and so on? Sounds interesting.

Anyway, my answer to your question is two fold: Don't put so much pressure on yourself. Second, and more related to your field: video games and its culture is a great opportunity to observe how belief systems are built up over time. Vague video game plot threads and mechanics are rationalized, internalized and expanded upon by the players, discussed to a degree that could rival the early schisms in Christianity. Of course, this is a more anthropological approach, but still, you could probably work with it.

@mattgiersoni: I really like The Beginner's Guide. I'd assign it as homework in a class on existential philosophy.

Hey Paul, Here are a couple of questions I came up with.

- Religion is often seen as something that was written in the past and through belief still relevant today. But in some religious communities new rules and content are still being added, be it old religions that renew there stance to fit the current dynamics of the world, or new "arcane" religions that start from scratch (spaghetti monster, science toligy). Could you say something about the form video games may take to describe or teach these new ideas in religion. Could video games be a replacement tool to learn religious concepts vs the written word of the bible? And if so, what would that look like?

I think art and religion is very related (why create or perceive art if you do not believe in anything) So here a question on that theme:

- On the topic of games as art. While there is a lot of craft that goes into a game, games are not often perceived as fine art such as works produced by artists like Ai Wei Wei or Banksy (to name a few). Have artists (of fine art) yet to adopt games as a medium or might there be limitations to the medium that makes it hard to use it for moving art pieces? How do you see games as a medium of art that is on the same level as great artworks of the past and the present?

@gaff: Your assumption is basically correct. It is in some ways a simple but currently unexplored point in the field. My main field of study is also the relationship between religion and science. I have started working on video game issues after working in a neuroscience lab that studied brains and online bullying. But I keep getting more into it as I realize the academic study of games, in religious fields or elsewhere, is in its infant phases. So I REALLY like your second suggestion. There are indeed areas to explore there. A lot of the scientific study of religion deals with the anthropology of religion, so the overlap with my main interests is strong.

Something like Papers,Please as a way of conveying/communicating concepts of ethics, or rather, asking ethical questions of the player. That Dragon, Cancer - as a way of understanding death and suffering, offering a worldview that may or may not align with those of traditional religious beliefs.

@paul_tillich: Gotcha, thanks for the clarification!

@paul_tillich:

You should really play Moirai before your Panel, if you haven't before. I believe it's free to play on Steam. It's short, and is a great example of interactive storytelling. Congrats on the PHD.

I'd say something like Journey would be a great example - a game where no words are ever exchanged, yet a lasting bond with a complete stranger can be forged and broken within seconds while in pursuit of an abstract shared goal.

Games are more than their stereotypes.

@sweep: I've been thinking of doing something with Journey for a while. I really like the way you phrased things!

@paul_tillich: Congratulations sir on your Ph.D.!

I too agree with @sweep using Journey as an example.

@paul_tillich: What I'd like them to know is That gaming is a still largely untapped medium and that content that they probably see today is largely dictated by commercial entertainment product trends as opposed to the artistic possibilities of the form.

I fully believe that gameplay systems don't have revolve around combat like a good portion of games seem to. Don't get me wrong I personally love most of those games, but games are far too reliant on them as foundation of play. It's limiting to the creative potential of them.

Some of the examples given to you already in the thread are good, but I feel like there's so much that doesn't exist yet that could.

And in terms of what to ask them, assuming they see the same potential that I do, I'd be curious to know what sort of games they'd like to see made.

congrats on your PhD !

Her Story may be good, not necessarily for how it approaches one particular "other," but more for how it explores the development of our understanding of a general "other." It's all about first impressions, and everyone could potentially have a different initial basis for that understanding.

Cibele may also work, and perhaps addresses your subject more directly.

My final suggestion is not at all tied to the societal thrust of your question, but I think a game like Flower could get a lot of play in this setting under different circumstances.

First thing that came to my mind when I read the title:

Congrats on your PhD!

To be completely honest I can't actually think of any good suggestion. I know that there are games that tackle what you're looking for but none of them are coming to my mind right now. I'll update this if I remember any.

To expand upon this, I would want them to know the variety of ways non-traditional games can make crucial points; how they can not just tell the player something but make them think and feel in different ways. Games have gotten to the point where they can present a topic but not tell you what to think, while influencing you to thinking about questions they want you to ponder, or emotions they want you to feel. These things don't have to be hamfisted like a lot of people seem to think games still are. I've seen people recently talk about Wolfenstein as just a typical FPS with Nazis. Like... no man, it's deeper than that; it does things.

Hm, I suppose I'd just want people who don't typically engage with games in their daily life to know it occupies a similar space in mind that TV, movies, and books occupy. It's not cordoned off as a different type, if you know what I mean. It's just another form of media, and one that I readily accepted amongst the others when I was a kid learning about the world.

I dunno how old these folks are, but I sometimes wonder what it's like for people who didn't grow up with video games as just another thing. How they look at the medium I mean, particularly if they do engage with all the others.

Congrats on your stuff!

@elmorales94: I love all of your suggestions, and thank you for reminding me about Cibele.

@flashflood_29: You and I are in agreement. If I get everyone to agree to be recorded for a podcast, I hope you listen. We are very much thinking along the same lines.