Tessera
Folgen

Ben Kirman

@ben.kirman.org

Postdisciplinary games academic: Make/study/teach the playful, weird, wonderful and radical. (he/him) #criticaldesign #speculativedesign #designfiction #gamedesign Projects: https://ben.kirman.org

322 Posts196 Follower296 Folgt
Ben Kirman@ben.kirman.org · 2w ago

Still unpacking and decompressing from #emfcamp, a million astonishing, inspirational, and moving moments. A highlight was receiving a lovely handwritten letter from an attendee of our 1d game workshop. What an amazing event filled with magical people #emf2026 🌈

In a field, with tea towels flapping in the breeze, my arm is visible, holding an envelope with handwritten address made out to "Ben Kirman, museum of manky tea towels, elf camp"
Ben Kirman@ben.kirman.org · last mo.

Did a favour for someone a while ago and they put "me" in their board game as thanks. The photo and nationality are not accurate, but they nailed the stats: zero cool, always slow, and easily stressed.

A hand with exceptional nail polish holds a deck of shrinkwrapped cards. The top card says "KIRMAN", with a picture of an american air force pilot, and a series of different stats.
Ben Kirman@ben.kirman.org · 2mo ago

Delighted to discover that our tea towels are now appearing alongside papers in google scholar searches ("critical tea towels") - thanks @oliverbates.co.uk for uploading them. and a reminder that "article" is a very broad term so maybe that weird thing you made is also one?

Some tea towels and booklets are spread on a table, along with an annotated map of manchester city centre. The tea towels show scenes from York and Edinburgh as gig couriers encounter difficulties and hostile architectures.
Ben Kirman@ben.kirman.org · 2mo ago

This was fun! Turns out the Q&A goes easier when you are brandishing a screwdriver in your fist. The paper is here: doi.org/10.21606/drs...

Research through game design

Games are common artefacts and systems for design research, appearing as engagement tools with publics or specific audiences, expressions of ideas, and as tools for speculation. Games have proven valu...

doi.org

Ben Kirman@ben.kirman.org · 2mo ago

On my way to #DRS2026 in Edinburgh this week, presenting "Research through Game Design" on Tuesday, w/ @oliverbates.co.uk , Marcia Tavares Smith and @dpgreen.bsky.social. I just deleted "GAMES ARE INDUSTRIAL WASTE FOR DWEEBS" from the talk. But what did I replace it with...? drs2026.thedrs.org/home

Some gothic pixellated text saying "Research through Game Design" by authors Oliver Bates, Ben Kirman, Marcia Tavares Smith and David Philip Green. From Fractals Co-op, University of York, Lancaster University and UKCEH respectively
Alistair Aitcheson & Mademoiselle Cafetière@agaitcheson.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I really like this article. Also makes me think of @hollygramazio.bsky.social's wonderful article "How Not To Play" which talks about ways of engaging with games without hands-on playing with them. wellcomecollection.org/stories/XeEL...

How not to play

Here are seven ways to sidestep doing as you’re told in a game. But strangely, they seem to be as much a part of playing as the game itself.

wellcomecollection.org

Chris Plante@plante.bsky.social · 2mo ago

jank has become one of my favorite daily reads

oliver@oliverbates.co.uk · 2mo ago

Our next project is the Museum of Manky Tea Towels. Me and @ben.kirman.org need your help! Got any novelty/souvenir tea towels you could donate? Here’s a longer call for tea towels: crankandfile.co.uk/museum-of-ma... If you’re in the UK drop me a dm so we can arrange postage or a collection.

Museum of Manky Tea Towels: Call for Tea Towels!

Call for Tea Towels! As part of ongoing research with tea towels and storytelling, we are co-organising an event at the arts and science festival Electromagnetic Field called “The Museum of Manky Tea ...

crankandfile.co.uk