Unfamiliar game design : using defamiliarization to provoke critical reflection in game design

Abstract

Defamiliarization is the art of seeing things anew by making the familiar look strange. True to its name, defamiliarization has been applied under different guises in areas such as literature, theatre and domestic technologies, and while the methods applied differ in form, the aspiration to change the way we see things remains central to its premise. Reflection as understood by Schon is the belief that learning is achieved through active engagement, useful not only in pedagogical settings but also for design practitioners who want to expand their abilities and perception of their practice. Both of these concepts have been applied in some way or another to game design but rarely together, even less so as formal methodologies. Games are ideal incubators for change and reflection, however the globalised game landscape seems to favour mainstream values such as the commercialisation of creativity and designing for the "generic player", over the playful discovery of something new and different. Drawing on literature ranging from defamiliarization methods to game design strategies, an experiment I conducted with a card game especially designed for game ideation and the results obtained from two workshops, I propose unfamiliar game design an experimental practice of using defamiliarization to design reflective and playful exercises for game designers.