Courses
Summer 2026
Games Beyond the Mainstream
This course focuses on the analysis of digital games outside the (commercial) mainstream: experimental games, arthouse games, game poems – games that break away from established conventions within a game genre, escape genre classification altogether, or push and question the idea of what a game is or should be.
We will be playing, analyzing and discussing a variety of games ranging from unconventional to barely playable. Throughout the course, games will serve as case studies highlighting the various materials of game design: What might a game whose gameplay consists mostly of waiting tell us about time, and what does a game played entirely by physically hitting an old CRT monitor have to say about hardware?
The course will be taught in English.
Requirements: Interest in videogames! Being an experienced gamer is absolutely not a requirement, but you should be curious about games and willing to engage with videogames and literature from game studies. You should especially bring some openness to "weird" games that may be frustrating to play or hard to understand.
We will be playing, analyzing and discussing a variety of games ranging from unconventional to barely playable. Throughout the course, games will serve as case studies highlighting the various materials of game design: What might a game whose gameplay consists mostly of waiting tell us about time, and what does a game played entirely by physically hitting an old CRT monitor have to say about hardware?
The course will be taught in English.
Requirements: Interest in videogames! Being an experienced gamer is absolutely not a requirement, but you should be curious about games and willing to engage with videogames and literature from game studies. You should especially bring some openness to "weird" games that may be frustrating to play or hard to understand.
Dozent
Saskia Joanna Rauhut
Termin
Mi, 14-16 Uhr
Ort
FHP D103
SWS
2
Studiengang
BA
Module (BA): 7
Module (BA): 7
Pflichtveranstaltung
-
Veranstaltungsart
Seminar
Leistungspunkte
2
Zielgruppe
BA
Teilnehmerbegrenzung
25
Zusätzliche Informationen
Testat: Individual interactive presentation (10-12 mins).
Each student introduces an experimental game of their choice to the class. The presentation should actively involve the other course participants: playing key moments of the game in class and discussion questions should be central to the presentation. Foregoing presentation slides in favor of a more open, interactive format is strongly encouraged.
You can pick any game we haven't discussed in class, as long as it's available for free on https://itch.io/
If you'd like your classmates to play along as part of your presentation, it's best to pick a game that can be played in the browser. If you'd like to play the game during your presentation, but you don't have a laptop or tablet you can connect to the projector/smartboard, please contact Joanna ahead of time so we can figure out the logistics.
The course canvas will be updated after each lesson.
Each student introduces an experimental game of their choice to the class. The presentation should actively involve the other course participants: playing key moments of the game in class and discussion questions should be central to the presentation. Foregoing presentation slides in favor of a more open, interactive format is strongly encouraged.
You can pick any game we haven't discussed in class, as long as it's available for free on https://itch.io/
If you'd like your classmates to play along as part of your presentation, it's best to pick a game that can be played in the browser. If you'd like to play the game during your presentation, but you don't have a laptop or tablet you can connect to the projector/smartboard, please contact Joanna ahead of time so we can figure out the logistics.
The course canvas will be updated after each lesson.
Winter 2025/2026
Questioning the convention: game design as (eco-)critical practice
Lehrauftrag Saskia Joanna Rauhut (in englischer Sprache)
Dozent
Saskia Joanna Rauhut
Termin
Mi, 14-16 Uhr
Ort
FHP tba
SWS
2
Studiengang
BA
Module (BA): 7
Module (BA): 7
Pflichtveranstaltung
-
Veranstaltungsart
Seminar
Leistungspunkte
2
Zielgruppe
BA
Teilnehmerbegrenzung
25
Zusätzliche Informationen
Testat: