This is an archive of a previous Meaningful Play. View current Meaningful Play.

meaningful play 2010 travel

Game Information

TitleA House in California
Presenter(s)Jake Elliott
SessionConference Reception, Game Exhibition, and Poster Session
TimeThursday, October 21, 7:00p-9:00p
LocationEast Lansing Technology Innovation Center
FormatGame Exhibition
Description'A House in California' is a surreal, narrative game about four characters who bring a house to life. These four characters are based on relatives of mine (two grandmothers and two great-grandmothers). Within the game, the player guides the four characters to engage with environments and activities drawn from a combination of memory, research, poetry, and fantasy.

Aesthetically, the game draws inspiration from 'Mystery House', developed in 1980 by Roberta and Ken Williams. 'Mystery House' is a murder mystery that drives its characters progressively deeper into the titular house by offering the player material verbs such as "go", "open", and "take". 'A House in California' inverts these qualities of materiality and violent murder into a peaceful but surreal character study which draws the player into the inner lives of its four characters through verbs like "remember", "learn" and "play".

Return to Schedule