The Tiltfactor Laboratory makes screen based computer games as well as street games and table top games like card games and board games. Unlike typical commercial games, our mission is to focus on "critical play". We make games for children, for adults, for the public, and for particular communities to raise issues, discussion points, or just innovate play in novel ways.
While our games can be seen as educational, it is important to us that they are fun!
Our software and playful art fosters rewarding, compelling, and socially-responsible interactions, with a focus on inventive game design for social change.
"Adjust for inflation, the federal bailout of $8.5 trillion is more expensive than every war the US has ever fought, the Louisiana Purchase, the Marshall Plan, the New Deal, and the Nasa Space Program COMBINED."
Tiltfactor and the collaborative Values at Play project are proud to announce the release of the new casual computer game, LAYOFF.
Developed by members of the Tiltfactor Lab and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Game Design and Development program, LAYOFF is an examination of the current financial scandal.
LAYOFF uses a simple casual game paradigm to comment on the current state of the US financial crisis. Both friends and strangers face tough times in an unstable economy. Part dark humor, mostly grim portent, in the game players play from the side of management needing to cut jobs, and match types of workers in groups in order to lay the workers off and increase workforce efficiency.
Team Credits:
Mary Flanagan, Design
Based on the initial idea by Angela Ferraiolo
Greg Kohl, Programming
Jennifer Jacobs, Art
Grace Peng, Art
Paul Orbell, Music
Content Development, James Bachhuber, Zsusa Mitro
Video, Anna Lotko and Chris Takeuchi
Playtester, Brendan Scully
With support from the U.S. National Science Foundation, Collaborative Research: SoD-TEAM:
Values at Play: Integrating Ethical and Political Factors into System Design, CNS-0613867
Reviews
Check out this video on the game. CBS 2's Stephanie Abrams reports - 'Layoff' Game Gives Players Points For Job Cuts" 22nd March 2009