As Valletta’s cultural transformation continues, one game designer believes that encouraging ‘urban games’ and opening up the city as a space for play could shine a different light on the capital and counter the idea of an imposed, top-down regeneration.
“Somebody can create a plan for what a street should look like,” says Jana Wendler, “but if you’re out there playing, you become aware of things that don’t fit in to the architect’s vision, but that you know should be preserved because you’ve actually interacted with them.”
Dr Wendler, who holds a PhD in urban geography, is currently in Malta to deliver workshops on urban game design as part of the Mediterranean Game Jam, an international event where designers get together to create new games from scratch in 48 hours.
“People are very used to their urban environments because they go to work or go shopping, but a game can flip that on its head,” she says.
“We create little rabbit holes in the city. I’m interested in using public spaces in an interesting way, using streets and buildings and trying to make people aware of elements that they ignore in their daily life.”
Urban games have exploded in popularity in many big cities over the last few years, whether in the form of treasure hunts, interactive stories that players explore across a city, or more active chase games.
I’m interested in trying to make people aware of elements that they ignore in their daily life
“It’s a response to how commodified everything has become. In a lot of places you have to pay just to sit down, but playing is free,” Dr Wendler says. “Children play everywhere, so why not adults? We really want to foster that idea. Public space is for everyone and you are allowed to play.”
As part of her visit, Dr Wendler also put these ideas into practice with a Valletta-based version of the game Citydash (designed by Fire Hazard Games), a fast-paced treasure hunt where players used smartphones to uncover checkpoints and evade guards while navigating routes through the city.
“You have spectators, you have people joining in, you have people confused by what’s going on. Even if it’s just that moment of a person running by, it brings variety, which is a positive thing for cities in general.”
As part of a city’s cultural landscape, Dr Wendler says urban games can counter the elitism that the arts still hold for some, offering an art form that encourages active participation and allows participants to “be their own artists within the game”.
Moreover, her work with Manchester-based collective Playfuel Games has also included games that shine light on serious topical issues. In a game based on the phone-hacking scandal, players used phones placed around the city to call other players and attempt to ‘hack’ parts of the story.
“Games can be a form of expression that’s not available otherwise. These players might not have gone out to protest, but the game allowed them to give their commentary on the situation.”