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Gaming AI

In Weeks 8, 9, 10, and 11, the course explores alternative ways of understanding, reimagining, occupying, or refusing artificial intelligence. These weeks engage with Indigenous, feminist, cooperative, anti-capitalist, and refusal-based perspectives on AI.

Despite the growing body of work in these areas, such perspectives often remain inaccessible beyond academic or activist circles. This assignment responds to that gap by treating pedagogy itself as a site of intervention in critical AI studies.

The goal of Gaming AI is to translate one or more of these alternative AI frameworks into a playful, accessible, and educational game format. Games, especially board and card games, have long been used as tools for collective learning and experimentation. By designing a game, you are invited to think about how knowledge circulates and how play can be used to teach complex ideas about AI.

You are required to design a board game or card-based game that explains, teaches, or invites players to engage with one or more perspectives on AI drawn from Weeks 8, 9, 10, and/or 11 (Indigenous AI, Feminist AI, Cooperative AI, Refusing and/or Rebooting AI). The game should communicate these ideas in a non-academic, playful, and intelligible way, allowing players to learn through interaction, decision-making, and discussion. You are encouraged to think of the game as a form of critical pedagogy, where rules, mechanics, and scenarios embody political and ethical questions about AI. This assignment may be completed individually or in groups of up to three students (equal division). Time will be allocated during class for group discussion and feedback on Gaming AI projects.

Your submission must include two components: (1) The game itself, which may include cards (e.g. question cards, scenario cards, role-playing cards), a board, tokens, coins, counters, or other physical or printable elements; (2) A written instruction document, explaining the goal of the game, how it is played, the rules, and how players progress through the game. You may take inspiration from existing games, including Oracle for Transfeminist Technologies: https://transfeministech.codingrights.org/ (https://transfeministech.codingrights.org/) If you do so, you should briefly acknowledge these inspirations in your instruction text. However, the game must be original in its application to AI topics discussed in the course (weeks 8, 9, 10 and/or 11).

The game may be produced in one of two ways: (1) Physically/on paper, using pen, ink, markers, collage, or other materials. Physical games must be brought to class in Week 12. (2) Digitally designed but physically playable, meaning the game is created using digital tools but intended to be printed and played offline. This is not a digital or online game and does not require coding skills. The instructor will introduce optional free tools during class.

The game must include a minimum of 12 cards, questions, or interaction elements, and its mechanics must clearly engage with at least one framework from Weeks 8–11 in a way that supports learning and discussion.

If the assignment is completed in pairs or groups of three, you must include a brief statement on Quercus outlining the division of tasks among group members.

The assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (1) Engagement with course frameworks: The game demonstrates a clear and substantive engagement with one or more perspectives from Weeks 8–11. The AI framework(s) addressed are conceptually accurate and meaningfully embedded in the game’s mechanics, scenarios, or rules. (2)

Pedagogical effectiveness and clarity: The game successfully communicates ideas in an accessible and playful way. The instruction text clearly explains the goal, rules, and flow of the game, allowing players to understand how to play and what they are meant to learn. (3)

Creativity and design: The game shows originality and thoughtful design choices. Creativity is reflected in how rules and interactions are used to support learning and engagement; (4)

Completion and organization: All required elements are present, including the game components, instruction text, minimum number of interaction elements, and (if applicable) group contribution statement.