GCAP 2019

Politics in and around games has always been a contentious and much-debated subject. Whilst this
talk may not settle this discussion in its entirety, it is vitally important that designers and consumers of
games are aware of what it means to consider ‘politics’ in the context of game design. Specifically, this
talk will attempt to unpack the idea of whether or not it is possible to create an ‘apolitical’ game. It will
explore the concept at numerous levels, both in terms of what politics are – and how they are
understood by the consumer audience – and how they are represented by games. It borrows heavily
from film and literature, which has laid strong foundations in the bedrock of 'politics'.