Play on itch.io

Overview

Interpreter Training Program is a short experience in which you play as an interpreter trainee, completing deterministic tasks involving a set of unfamiliar symbols. The game takes place through a diegetic interface, the player’s workspace, consisting of a CRT console, a custom keyboard, a training manual, and a display panel. The player is introduced to the environment and completes tasks that treat arbitrary sequences of symbols as words and grammatical components but hold no real semantic grounding. The space is mechanical, utilitarian, and ultimately meaningless. By the end, the player completes the training and begins receiving tasks that require interpretation and meaning, only to realize the absurdity and cyclical nature of the system. The machine then takes over control to answer and generate meaning for you, leading to the collapse of the system.

This piece draws on several thought experiments and fiction, including the Chinese Room, the Infinite Monkey Theorem, Newspeak in 1984, and Papers, Please. The Chinese Room is a thought experiment in which a person who does not speak Chinese is put into a room with a manual. By following the instructions in the manual, the person can construct a believable response in Chinese despite not understanding anything. A Chinese speaker outside the room can have a valid conversation with the person inside and will not notice that they cannot speak Chinese. This raises the question of understanding without comprehension, which is exactly what I wanted to create through the symbols: words, grammar, parts of speech, and devices such as particles. The system presents sequences with real, convincing grammatical and linguistic rules and trains the player through tasks that resemble a gamified language-learning app. The player learns to understand the system, yet there is no comprehension. In the ending sequence, the machine begins to answer the questions for the player. Not the deterministic, lookup-table-like tasks, but questions about the player, personal, and intimate even. This creates the irony that the player is completing deterministic tasks a machine can easily accomplish, while the machine becomes the one that generates meaning and expresses “itself”.

This is what we see today with the development of generative AI tools. In my Artwork #3: Cogito, ergo sum, I embodied an LLM by speaking only what the AI tells me to. LLMs do not understand the meaning of the text they receive or generate. They “speak” and “think” by guessing the most probable next token based on the training data. They do this so well that the text becomes convincing, just as the responses generated by the operator inside the Chinese room. In this game, the player essentially becomes the machine, performing operations by following deterministic instructions without understanding any of the words they generate. I observed that when players are abruptly asked to “interpret” – for example, by describing the characteristics of a chair – they inadvertently return to the menu and look for adjectives or sequences of symbols that resemble a chair. When asked to enter their favorite color, they often recall their response to “the color of the sky” that was supposedly “correct”. The truth is, these questions were never evaluated by the program. Pass/fail is only determined by a pseudo-random number generator, which, ironically, is also deterministic by nature.

Throughout the experience, the player does not make meaningful decisions. They are guided throughout the training, and the system does not care who they are or what they do. Unlike Papers, Please, where you have only a limited time each day and have to earn money for your family, the system never rushes you (except in the Memorize task). You can always quit and resume later, and you can be away for a long time, and the system will still be there, waiting for your action. The environment is neither hostile nor welcoming – only indifferent. Obedience isn’t forced, but voluntary. To amplify this, I designed a “maintenance break” around halfway through the experience: a full minute of nothing but waiting. I found it interesting that most players would just sit there and stare at the progress bar, like an idling machine waiting for the next instruction. Perhaps it is because the maintenance reflects a sense of meaning, showing that their actions in this arbitrary system have an impact.

Iterations & Documentation

The first iteration focused on solving logical puzzles that are closer to the Chinese Room. The tasks involve either processing the sequence to generate output or categorizing it according to rules. While this aligns more with mechanical and procedural gameplay, it distracts the player from the central message: those who are not used to solving logical puzzles find it confusing and intimidating, while others become too focused on the challenge and enjoyment to understand the experience. The interface design was also confusing to use, though I personally liked the 3D low-res style.

To address the issues, I decided to go with 2D, which allows better organization of the components and improved readability. I simplified the tasks, which is when I realized I could draw inspiration from language-learning apps, which helped shape the final set of tasks: Translate, Parts of Speech, Fill in the Blank, and Memorize. Through the playtest, I noticed that the new interface is very intuitive for the players to pick up without any explanation. The tasks are much less “fun”; however, they align better with the theme and do not distract the players. I would say the interface design has been one of the most challenging parts of this project, especially with the relatively minimalist style. For example, one piece of feedback I received was that players often do not notice when their task has changed, and sometimes they only read part of the console messages, missing crucial details. I ensured that each task had a unique appearance so they were easily recognizable, but the most effective modification was adding a one-second transition when the screen changed.

Video Link：https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LVirmEA20oA_FFlJZ0E6KlsPvqrObjkR/view?usp=sharing

Gameplay Steps

1. The player randomly draws a task card.
2. The player has only 60 seconds to complete the task on the card.
3. The NPC chooses a patrol route within the space. After the game begins, the NPC may only walk along this route. The NPC may turn around but cannot turn their head independently.
4. When the NPC is facing the player, the player must immediately stop moving and freeze for 10 seconds, while the NPC continues their movement.
5. After the freeze ends, the player may continue performing the task until the 60-second limit is reached.
6. If the player completes the task within the time limit, they win the game.

Task List

• Count the number of objects around you that come in three different colors.
• Find the number “5, 6” somewhere and take a photo of it.
• Perform 5 simple actions and record a 10-second video.
• Find a sign or notice board and read a paragraph from it out loud (record audio).
• Find a spot where you can see the sky and take a photo.
• Face an object, say something encouraging to yourself, and record a video.
• Take three photos: one of a circle, one of a square, and one of a triangle.
• Make a “victory pose” and take a picture of yourself.

Summary

Initially, I wanted to create a multi-level video game with progressively increasing difficulty, but after trying it out, I found that the development workload far exceeded my expectations, so I had to abandon that idea and instead try interactive gameplay based on the real world. However, during testing, I found that it was difficult for players to maintain a sense of immersion. To solve this problem, I drew inspiration from horror movies, where killers are often accompanied by oppressive background music, slowly approaching the protagonist, whose movements become distorted due to tension. I wanted to translate this tension into the experience, so I added a series of restrictions to the game: such as strict mission completion time limits, and having NPCs play music through another device while patrolling, so that players not only visually pay attention to the NPCs’ movements but also feel the oppressive atmosphere aurally. Through this combination of methods, I hope players can more realistically experience the psychological pressure and behavioral constraints brought about by social anxiety.

Artist Statement

This project is inspired by the experiences of social anxiety, where even simple daily tasks can become emotionally overwhelming under the gaze of others. In the game, the task cards symbolize routine actions, while the NPC’s fixed patrol and sudden attention represent the intrusive presence that socially anxious individuals often fear. The forced freeze mechanic mimics the instinct to hide or minimize one’s presence when feeling observed, interrupting the player’s progress just as anxiety interrupts real-life functioning. By placing ordinary tasks under time pressure and the threat of being “seen,” the game transforms mundane actions into moments of tension, illustrating how much effort is required simply to move through public space when one’s instinct is to withdraw. Ultimately, the work aims to evoke empathy for the invisible labor behind social anxiety and to give players a brief encounter with the vulnerability embedded in these everyday struggles.

Idea:
To show the difficulty of globalization and diversity. I was inspired by a failed international diversity program, and realized that diversity is not that easy to achieve and positive as some people thought. Thus I wanna create an artwork that can show the difficult barrier stay between different group, and thus show how hard it is to be diverse.

Pitch:
There’ll be some players who speak a second language other than english.
An English text will be given by the GM.
-Each player will change 2-4 words in the text, word-to-word, without any considerations on the context, and pass it to the next player.
-After every player does a translation, the GM will translate the whole text word-by-word back to English, using Google translator.

How to score:
-Almost no change of original meaning – change tense, synonym – 1 point
-Different meaning – 2 point
However, all the words that are being replaced have to be the actual translation of original English text, the key is to try to confuse Google Translate to change the meaning when it was translated back to English word-by-word.

Playtest #1:

Original text：Founded in 1898, we’re renowned for our experiential learning model, high-impact research, deep partnerships, and worldwide reach. From day one, we’ve pursued innovative ways of teaching and research that place a premium on experience and engagement with the world.

Iteration 1: Founded in 1898, we are renowned for our experiential learning, high-impact research, hondo partnerships and global reach. Since our centenary, we have buscado innovative formas of 알려주 and research that lugar experience and engagement with the world 거기 the forefront.

Iteration 2: Founded in 1898, we’re renowned for our experiential learning __ , high-impact research, hondo partnerships and global reach. Since our centenary, we have sought innovative forms of let me know and research that place        experience and engagement with the world there the forefront.

Playtest #2:

Original text：Founded in 1898, we’re renowned for our experiential learning model, high-impact research, deep partnerships, and worldwide reach. From day one, we’ve pursued innovative ways of teaching and research that place a premium on experience and engagement with the world.

Iteration 1：Founded 在 1898, nous réputés Per nostro modèle d’apprentissage 经 验, nos ricerca fort impact, 私たち partenariats profondo そして世界的な広がり. Fin dal primo 天, nous have adopté innovación 方法 d’enseignement 和 buscar quién sur l’expérience and l’impegno con il world.

Iteration 2: Founded exist 1898, we__renowned per our model learning through test, us research fort impact, We partnerships deep and global reach. End from the first sky, we have adopted innovation method       teaching and look for who on the experience and the commitment with the world.

The first playtest didn’t went exactly as I thought it would be, due to the lack of time. Therefore in the second playtest, I decided to just abandon the scoring system, and just let the player change as much words as they want.

Creating this game was not just a design project. It was an artistic process in itself. Before I could even think about rules or characters, I had to learn how to find a typewriter. Most typewriters today cost around two hundred dollars, which immediately surprised me. Eventually I turned to eBay. It was my first time using the bidding system, and the whole experience felt thrilling. Placing bids, waiting, trusting that the thing I purchased would actually arrive created its own kind of suspense. When the typewriter finally came, it felt like receiving a relic from another era.

Learning how to use it was another journey. My generation does not grow up with typewriters, so nothing about it was intuitive. With help from classmates and my professor, I started to understand how it worked and how different its mechanics were from the keyboard I use every day. It was fascinating to use technology from before my time, something mechanical, loud, and permanent. Watching others in the class explore it as well made the experience feel shared and almost theatrical.

The Typewriter Game begins with an even number of players. Each person selects a character card with a dramatic personality attached to it. The Flecker Sisters, the British businessman, the country farmer, the French designer, the writer, the therapist, and the mysterious stranger all bring their own motives, secrets, and behaviors into the story. A prompt card introduces a shared problem such as rising crop prices, a missing item, a rumor spreading through town, or any other dramatic misunderstanding. Players decide how their character connects to the issue and how they relate to everyone else at the table.

When the writing begins, players take turns typing in character. Writing on a typewriter forces a slower and more deliberate pace. Because you cannot backspace or rearrange sentences easily, every word becomes a commitment. The messages start to feel raw and emotional simply because there is no easy way to erase the mistakes or rethink the tone halfway through. You have to deal with whatever comes out.

While one person types, everyone else stays in character. They talk, react, whisper, mutter, or act out their personalities around the person at the machine. These unscripted side moments help create pressure and inspiration for whoever is currently typing. The typewriter becomes the center of the scene. It becomes a physical object that the drama gathers around, and the sound of the keys almost encourages the story to grow.

After every player has contributed, the typed pages are placed in an envelope. The envelope is handed to someone outside the group who does not know the situation. Their task is to read the messages and try to explain what they think the conflict was, who they believe started it, and how they imagine it escalated. The results usually reveal how dramatic or silly the entire situation became. The players never expect that their writing will be interpreted by an outsider, which makes their messages feel even more honest.

This game design connects directly to the reading from Sharp, Works of Game. Sharp explains that a typewriter changes the writing process because of what it allows and what it does not allow. Digital writing invites endless revision. You can delete whole paragraphs, move sentences around, undo mistakes instantly, and produce something polished on the spot. A typewriter does not offer those freedoms. It forces a linear writing path. Mistakes cannot vanish. They remain on the page unless you go through the trouble of overtyping or using correction tape. Because of that, writers think ahead before committing anything to paper.

Sharp’s point is that the medium shapes the experience. The affordances of the tool guide the behavior of the writer. In the context of the Typewriter Game, this becomes part of the gameplay. The limitations of the typewriter influence how players write as their characters, how they plan their messages, and even how the drama develops. The physical nature of the machine creates a form of storytelling that digital tools cannot replicate. The game works not in spite of the typewriter’s restrictions but because of them. The pressure, the permanence, the sound, and the inability to revise shape the emotional tone of the writing in a way that becomes essential to the experience.

Overall it was a fun experience just to observe. Even watching people interact with the typewriter and fall into their characters felt interesting on its own. When the game ended, the players told me they had a fun time playing as well. Hearing that made the whole process feel worth it, from finding the typewriter to learning how to use it to watching the story unfold.

Documentation process: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PPBYz09A9Zs_oZ-6Z-ntZiOlDotIUyHuNRSCbENbjC8/edit?usp=sharing

Impractical Jokers has always been one of my favorite shows that I have ever watched. From its breathtaking comedy to its tense, and sometimes stressful, moments, it is a must watch show. The basic premise of Impractical Jokers is that there are four lifelong friends who continuously try to embarrass each other. They compete in challenges where either one, two, or all four guys are out in very social settings and must do and say whatever the other guys tell them to do. They could be forced to go up to a stranger and ask them for directions to a made-up place, or they might have to get someone to sign a wacky petition on letting children eat glue sticks. These challenges make up the show, and the comedy is built off of each guy. If the main guy participating does not want to do something, they fail the challenge. The ones who are able to do what they are told succeed at the challenge. At the end of each episode, the man with the most fails is considered the “big loser” and must face a punishment which they CANNOT, under ANY circumstances, say NO. Some punishments include getting a new tattoo chosen by the other guys or shaving your head and eyebrows and then changing your license photo. The show is a great watch, but what they are really doing is playing a game, and I wanted to try and simulate that game in normal life.

Tomfoolery is the game that I created with inspiration from Impractical Jokers, and it involves players taking turns to perform tasks in social spaces with random strangers. First, the number of players can vary, but it works best with 3 or more players. The game includes a deck of cards with tasks written on it. One thing about Impractical Jokers is while the jokes they make on the show aren’t outright harmful, they can border the line between harmless at best and at least antagonistic at worst. I didn’t want to create a game that was antagonistic towards random people, especially in the modern age of content creation where random “influencers” will antagonize or bully innocent people for the sake of “content.” That type of stuff really irks me, and so I wanted to create tasks that were harmless and more fun for the strangers. Some tasks I created were:

• Get a selfie with a stranger
• Crumple a ball of paper and get someone to be the hoop that you throw it into.
• Do 50 consecutive lunges forward
• Get a double high-five AND a double low-five both from a stranger.
• Arm Wrestle a stranger

These tasks do not encourage players to be obnoxious or antagonistic to society but instead aim to get players to interact with society at a friendly level. I live with the philosophy that one smile a day will keep the Grim Reaper away, and so I try to make people laugh, or even smile. daily. You don’t ever know what someone could be going through, and so putting a smile on their face could make all the difference. Regardless, players play in a circle. One player draws a card and then must do what is on that card for a specific number of points. If they refuse to do what is on the card, it becomes fair game for any player to do with an increased point value. If no one wants to do the task, the card is discarded. If a player does a task or the task is discarded, the player counterclockwise to the previous player can now draw a card and the process continues. When a full circle rotation has been completed, a round has passed. Players can play for as many rounds as they want, and the player with the most points by the end of all of the rounds wins.

Tomfoolery has a very simple gameplay loop that makes or breaks depending on the level of comfort players have in social settings. I believe that it can be used to help people ease into being around others and communicating with strangers. I, for one, am someone who has a hard time talking to people I don’t know, but playtesting Tomfoolery helped me get out of that comfort zone. I had a blast playtesting with my friends, and I know others would have a blast playing as well.

Photo Finish works like this:

Objective: find the people/items and take a picture with your phone faster than the other players.

Photo Finish was an game inspired by outside street-interventions turned into a searching game using photos and phones. Similar to a lot of public interventions people will have to intervene in a public place while playing this game in the wild.

How to Play

For 2 or more players and optionally: 1 game master to run generators and verify photos.

Each round, the GM announces a challenge based on the setting
(Should be usually played outside, but can be played anywhere):

Object Hunt: If there are not a lot of people outside

• Go to: randomwordgenerator.com/letter.php
• Find an object in the world that starts with the generated letter.
• Take a picture of it as proof.
• The first person to send or show their photo wins.
• No photos of yourself, your own items, or the other players.
• If everyone’s stuck, the GM may draw a new letter.

People Hunt: if there are

• To randomize the challenge: Google “pick a number from 1 to 50.”
• Match that number to Photo Finish traits list. (Wearing a hat, etc.)
• Find a person who fits that trait and ask politely before taking a photo of or with them.
• The first photo submitted wins.

Scoring
Each round’s winner earns 1 point.
First to reach 5 or 10 points wins overall.

Trial Run

I played as the GM with 3 other players. We started with some (6) rounds of Object Hunt, and then two rounds of People Hunt.

• Round 1: H – players found hand and husky
• Round 2: K – players couldn’t find anything starting with K – I then ruled you can make players return if they cant find anything
• Round 3: R – players found ring and recycling bin – I then ruled that you cannot use anything on your body / you own
• Round 4: B – players found bench and bin
• Round 5: L – players found leaves
• Round 6: A – players found art
• Round 7: Find someone… wearing a brand logo on their clothing – players took picture of each other’s shirts – ruled you can’t take pictures of each other
• Round 8: Find someone… wearing a uniform – players found Northeastern workers

Much of the power of intervention art lies in its unexpectedness. When an artist inserts themselves or their art somewhere that they don’t belong, there must be an element of surprise in their work in order to disrupt the situation, which can dictate how impactful the work is. While mass communication through the internet and social media has greatly increased the scale and possibilities of intervention art, it has also made interventions more commonplace and known to the public. While artists can still find new ways to surprise their audience through creative disruptions, the bar for the unexpectedness of intervention art is higher than ever.

I propose the concept of “outerventions” as a strategy that retains the unexpectedness of intervention art. Rather than inserting their work into a situation where they aren’t expected, artists performing an outervention remove themselves or their art from a situation where their presence is expected, subverting the audience’s expectations with a surprise exit. This strategy is particularly well-suited for conveying themes such as loss, abandonment, isolation, and alienation. While some artists have performed works that could be considered outerventions, this form of intervention is less utilized than the typical “additive” format, making this “subtractive” performance more novel to an audience aware of typical intervention art. I came up with three examples of outerventions to display how they can be put in action with various performer group sizes: Classroom Outervention, Prudential Outervention (which can be performed as a game), and Protest Outervention. More information about these outerventions can be found in the linked presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b6y70QwyS0RQESU1uMkB95zJwJ84RiC2OYfBow8tWmE/edit?usp=sharing 

I wasn’t inspired by any specific art piece, but instead the common threads that I find in a lot of intervention-like viral videos that appear on my social media feed, where creators interrupt situations for laughs. So much of modern life is influenced by an algorithm-driven media ecosystem that incentivizes acts that draw attention to its subject. Because of this, I believe that artists attempting to remove attention from themselves while they already hold the attention of an audience can result in performances with greater potential for staying in that audience’s minds. This creates a sort of paradox where the outervention artist’s grasp of their audience’s attention is at its peak during and after the performance’s end and the subsequent disestablishment of the performer-audience relationship: in other words, outervention art grabs attention when the art is no longer perceptible.

My game involves collecting the songs people listen to when they’re feeling down. I created a questionnaire and placed it in public places (restrooms, etc.) using QR codes for people to fill out. I received responses for about 30 songs, ranging from humorous edits to melancholic tunes to optimistic ones. People listen to songs reflecting various emotions when they’re feeling down.

Concept / Intention
The participatory artgame When You’re Down allows people to share their emotional experiences from sad moments. The project allows people to share their songs for low moments through a basic survey which appears as QR codes in public areas including restrooms and hallways. The collected responses function as both statistical data and individual disclosures which turn individual music listening into a shared display of emotional exposure. The project aims to discover various emotional coping methods which people use to deal with their feelings including melancholic thinking and humorous responses and hopeful attitudes.

Mechanics as Expression
The game exists through the process of participant involvement. The game mechanism requires participants to share their emotions through music instead of competing for points or winning. The submission of each song serves as both a game move and an empathetic expression. The QR code system together with anonymous participation design creates a simple way for people to join without facing social obstacles while preserving personal connection. The resulting playlist demonstrates human emotions through diverse musical expressions because sadness produces different sounds for different people. The playlist contains songs that use ironic editing to hide pain through comedy and other tracks which present authentic emotions that express personal struggles and determination.

Process & Influence
The project developed from my belief that games function as emotional exchange systems beyond their traditional roles as competitive or simulated activities. The Night Journey and dys4ia served as inspiration for my work because they use interactive elements to study personal experiences instead of pursuing external objectives. The project aimed to bring this interactive approach into physical public spaces by uniting digital elements with traditional participation methods. The project spanned multiple weeks during which I distributed printed QR codes containing the question “What do you listen to when you’re down?” throughout campus buildings and public areas. The project received thirty responses which combined to form a musical representation of shared emotional experiences.

Reflection
The experience of When You’re Down exists to be felt throughout different times rather than being played only once. The game transforms play into empathy through musical shared emotional experiences. The project showed me how music functions as an individual healing method which also connects people at a universal level. The participants used two different approaches to handle their sadness by either using humorous songs or listening to peaceful music. The combined responses from participants establish a detailed depiction of emotional strength and diverse emotional responses. The game reaches its conclusion by establishing a musical bond between participants who discover they share a common musical experience through their song exchanges.

Artwork #3