University Challenge

Homunculus

Alistair goes on a search for artificial life.   My own work cited: The Incredible Playable Show - http://playable.show [http://playable.show] The Book Ritual - https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/thebookritual.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/thebookritual.html] Homunculus - https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/homunculus.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/homunculus.html]   Links from the episode: Jelle's Marble Runs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g] Rustle Your Leaves to Me Softly - https://tag.hexagram.ca/games/rustle-leaves-softly/ [https://tag.hexagram.ca/games/rustle-leaves-softly/] Most Sincere Greetings Esteemed One - https://globalgamejam.org/2016/games/most-sincere-greetings-esteemed-one [https://globalgamejam.org/2016/games/most-sincere-greetings-esteemed-one] IndieCade interview with Jess Marcotte and Dietrich "Squinky" Squinkifer - https://www.twitch.tv/videos/973387784 [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/973387784]   Music credits: Clair De Lune variations by Poddington Bear - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Clair_De_Lune_Variations/ [https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Podington_Bear/Clair_De_Lune_Variations/] Used under Creative Commons Non-Commercial 3.0 Licence Restless Dreams by Myuu - https://soundcloud.com/myuu/restless-dreams [https://soundcloud.com/myuu/restless-dreams] Used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence Chopin Prelude in E Minor by Porticodoro / SmartCGArt Media Productions - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FChopinPreludeOp28n4.OGG [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FChopinPreludeOp28n4.OGG] Used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence Claire de Lune by Laurens Goedhart - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clair_de_lune_(Claude_Debussy)_Suite_bergamasque.ogg [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clair_de_lune_(Claude_Debussy)_Suite_bergamasque.ogg] Used under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence

Finger 2000

What connects surrealist artist Man Ray to the hacked game emulator that Alistair has been working on? The only way to find out is to tune in and listen.   Bon appetit!   Or at least the audio equivalent of bon appetit. Bon écoutage?   My own work cited: Alistair's Magic Box (the hackable emulator): https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/magicbox.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/magicbox.html] My Twitch channel (where audiences play with the hacked emulator with me as their guinea pig): https://www.twitch.tv/agaitcheson Video - playing Sonic the Hedgehog with random controls (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DnHXv__NjY [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DnHXv__NjY] Video - playing Sonic the Hedgehog with glitches and friends (2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwj1XTB0nlE [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwj1XTB0nlE]   Links from the episode: Surrealism at Play - Susan Laxton: https://www.dukeupress.edu/surrealism-at-play [https://www.dukeupress.edu/surrealism-at-play] A Google search for Rayographs: https://www.google.com/search?q=rayographs [https://www.google.com/search?q=rayographs]   Music credits: Kevin McCloud: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler] (Creative Commons Attribution licence) Kai Engel: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence) Lee Maddeford: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence)

University Challenge

Alistair turns his spyglass of playfulness towards TV quiz show University Challenge: a show whose main gimmick is that the questions are really really hard.   He explores the emergent design of these super-difficult questions, and his own experience trying to re-interpret the show as a playful video challenge. Then, he points his ludolicious lens towards games in the art world, to see how artists have approached the same idea: using games to generate art.   Follow Alistair on Twitch for unusual audience-led performances or take a look at his past experiments: https://www.twitch.tv/agaitcheson/videos?filter=highlights&sort=time [https://www.twitch.tv/agaitcheson/videos?filter=highlights&sort=time]   My own work cited: Getting a Perfect Score in University Challenge (YouTube video) https://youtu.be/PHtcKsAy2gQ [https://youtu.be/PHtcKsAy2gQ] The co-operative Sonic the Hedgehog controller: https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/megacooperator.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/megacooperator.html]   Links from the episode: Exquisite Corpse(Wikipedia entry) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse] ioq3aPaint - Julian Oliver: https://julianoliver.com/output/ioq3aPaint.html [https://julianoliver.com/output/ioq3aPaint.html] Super Mario Clouds - Cory Arcangel: https://coryarcangel.com/things-i-made/2002-001-super-mario-clouds [https://coryarcangel.com/things-i-made/2002-001-super-mario-clouds] Beat the Champ - Cory Arcangel: https://coryarcangel.com/shows/beat-the-champ/ [https://coryarcangel.com/shows/beat-the-champ/] SOD - JODI: https://www.leonardo.info/gallery/gallery351/jodi.html [https://www.leonardo.info/gallery/gallery351/jodi.html] Works of Game by John Sharp: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/works-game [https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/works-game]   Music credits: Kevin McCloud: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler] (Creative Commons Attribution licence) Kai Engel: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence) Lee Maddeford: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence)

Yoko Ono's Chess Set

Alistair looks at chessboards created as interactive art pieces, and relates them to his own experiences making interactive art and performance from chess.   Tune in for Takako Saito's smellable chess pieces, Horses Running Endlessly, an egg becoming God, and of course Yoko Ono's chess set where all the pieces are white.   Links from the episode: Holly Gramazio - How Not to Play: https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/XeEL6REAAB8AtgaS [https://wellcomecollection.org/articles/XeEL6REAAB8AtgaS] The Museum of Modern Art's blog on All White Chess Set: https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2015/07/14/notes-on-yoko-onos-white-chess-set/ [https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2015/07/14/notes-on-yoko-onos-white-chess-set/] Critical Play by Mary Flanagan: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/critical-play [https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/critical-play] Now Play This, an annual games festival: https://nowplaythis.net/nptathome2020/ [https://nowplaythis.net/nptathome2020/] Critical Distance is my go-to source of games reading, mentioned in the episode: https://www.critical-distance.com/ [https://www.critical-distance.com/]   My own work cited: Pawns: https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/pawns.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/pawns.html] Playing Pawns against Twitch Chat: https://youtu.be/G-nXU3T5zuc [https://youtu.be/G-nXU3T5zuc] Playing Pawns against Twitch Chat for Now Play This: https://youtu.be/2GlQ2K6Vv20 [https://youtu.be/2GlQ2K6Vv20] Codex Bash: https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/codexbash.html [https://www.alistairaitcheson.com/games/codexbash.html]   Music credits: Kevin McCloud: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Classical_Sampler] (Creative Commons Attribution licence) Kai Engel: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kai_Engel/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence) Lee Maddeford: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/ [http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Maddeford/Instrumentals_1/] (Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial licence)

Clowns, Humility and Games for the Stage

Looking through the book Clowns: In Conversation with Modern Masters and reflecting on how the experiences of the clowns in the book have reflected my own creative processes. This first episode focuses on a theme of humility, and how it's affected the design of the games in my interactive stage show. And, for you to play along with at home, a surprising altercation with food! Music source: Steven O'Brien - http://www.steven-obrien.net/ (CC Attribution)