Today went and tried out two of the art games at the library. I took up a position by the door and set up a table and saw who might come and have a go. I had wanted to try the shake game, but decided against this. So did Sign Language Duel and the Word Play game. The word play game is maybe not that strong mechanics wise in the end. Although those that tried it kind of adapted it to what they wanted. It was hard to get the rules across, so instead let them take it where they wanted to, so there were two different version, in one they place all the text on each other like it but then said them in any order and took the strips off of each other as they said it. Maybe there is a way that it doesn’t have o be in order, but more that they find the line on each other.
Actually this could work, if you have a person read out the line, then they find it on their body and then read it, but not sure that would work, because you are repeating the word said. If there was some mechanism where the line could lead to the next line in some way. Maybe move away from numbering. Who knows. Also an onlooker said that she is able to read text that is written backwards. She also gave me a high five when the two participants had finished, so maybe that is a good sign. Then one pair of participants played it that they put a line of text on each other, only one, and then found that and read it aloud, then took it off. They seemed happy doing that, and found it quite challenging in itself. So is this a way forwards. I did start to think, not about levels, but that you could structure things so that there are different versions of things for different people, to choose the game structure they want to play. It did all seem casual.
With Sign Language duel, seems to be completely understandable to particiaptns. Maybe unlike wordplay Sign Language duel seems to have become a finals state. I thought originally that changing the mechanics was about the testing, but now with wordplay and the way particiaptns changed it, am wondering about maybe people in the work adapting it for their own game model, but in the context of the artwork. I still think there is something in wordplay, but maybe it is a work that I am not really able to fully realise, it is an idea beyond me to become something. I seem to fluctuate in my thoughts on wordplay. It did get competitive the games of sign language duel. I am starting to wonder more about I Doff My hat, am wanting to do a strong test of that with a large group, to test it out.
As a location it was a calm area, which was very distinct in its look. It had the everydayness of a council building, making the activity stand out within it. Though I tried to choose the activity that also correspond to the location, the idea of doing Word Play in the space, so it fits with the idea of the library and books. In some way am I trying to release the text, make it physical on the body and spoken in the space.
research 