Microgames: How do I capture my life into a videogame?

Talk by Vaida Plankyte Designer, Edinburgh

Thanks to websites such as itch.io, it is easier than ever for anyone to share small games they’ve made. In fact, a lot of creators are making personal games: these pieces are often unpolished, autobiographical, and about the mundane things in life. But what does it mean to make a game that is “personal” and how does one approach developing such a game?
This talk will look into the different aspects of personal microgames: their focused mechanics, use as tools for communication, and a possible medium for self-care. Amongst other things, we will look at how they can serve as snapshots of your life, or allow you to process past experiences.
Because of their format, they have interesting structures and force you to think in a different way when making them: we will look at a selection of microgames and analyse their design to understand this better. What is more, we will explore the development process by going through how Vaida makes these games and the tools that she uses.
The talk will also briefly cover a set of game design manifestos, such as soft chambers and rejecta, that showcase the variety of approaches and constraints that can come in useful during development.
Hopefully, this talk will help you reflect on why you make the games you make and what unusual uses you can get out of developing microgames.

Biography
Vaida enjoys making personal games that focus on narration and the relationship between player/creator. She works with easy-to-use tools to create short-form games, experimenting with minimalist gameplay and player expectations. She has exhibited her work at Now Play This and SCREENSHAKE, and regularly speaks at European game development festivals. Vaida is currently running student developer events in Edinburgh, and experimenting with different media and curatorial work.