Concept
Instructions Not Included uses only packaging materials and product labels and instructions to create its absurd gameplay. The game reveals how our daily existence depends on numerous rules which people fail to analyze. The game requires players to perform exact actions from consumer instructions until their logical thinking fails and their understanding of meaning breaks down into complete disorder. The project bases its creation on Dada’s rejection of rationality and Fluxus’s use of event scores and playful absurdity.
Material
All materials are found or appropriated:
5 discarded product packages or labels
Optional: paper scraps or markers for players to record responses
How To Play
Players: 2 or more
Objective: Follow the printed instructions as literally as possible.
Setup:
Lay out all packaging pieces on the table. Each player selects one object.
Rules:
Read the object’s printed text.
Act out the words as commands.
Ex:
“Cold Water” → shiver violently
“Tear Here” → rip a paper or mimic tearing
“Recycle” → spin around and swap objects with another player
Continue in turn order, improvising responses and actions.
End Condition:
The game ends when a player hesitates, or asks, “What now?”
Instructions Not Included examines how people follow instructions in consumer society while also experiencing absurd situations. All products we purchase include instructions which function as subtle commands that control our actions and mental processes and behavioral control. People execute these instructions without ever stopping to think about them. The game converts our automatic obedience into theatrical performance to show the ridiculous elements which exist within consumer language.
The game follows Dada principles by eliminating both logical structure and purposeful direction. The artwork status of packaging materials stems from their new context rather than their functional value according to Duchamp’s readymade concept. “Recycle, Just Be A Box” is a game where players act like a box and then exchange items with other players, using the “Recycle” concept. Players then find “Doordash” on other players’ items and perform actions based on the meaning of the word. The another player depends on “Sport” to make basketball moves. The piece achieves its effect through both comedic elements and uncomfortable moments which create a break in the established authority structure.
The work implements Fluxus principles through its design which promotes active participant involvement and playful activities. Inspired by Yoko Ono’s Instruction Paintings and Brecht’s Event Scores, so the rules in this game are open-ended and flexible.The performance outcome depends on how players understand the materials and the unpredictable nature of discovered objects. The game experience consists of players interacting with each other through their individual interpretations of the game.
The game development process leads to a system-based analysis of human behavior. The game fails when players follow instructions exactly because their actions lead to confusion which demonstrates how systems of meaning become unstable when their original context disappears. Through strict interpretation of instructions players discover the ridiculous nature of complete obedience.
The project establishes a goal to transform commercial language into a time for people to think about their actions and fight against control. The game Instructions Not Included encourages players to break free from following instructions by creating a space where they can abandon logical thinking.