The publication of the edited anthology Game over. Critica delle ragione videoludica (trans. Game Over. Critique of Ludic Reason, Mimesis Edizioni, 2020) has triggered a heated debate in Italy about the complex relationship between video games and politics, entertainment and activism. Among the most discussed essays included in the book is Jonathan Glover’s This is not a game, in which the American scholar and writer examines the game-like nature of conspiracy theories and, in particular, QAnon.
Here’s a relevant passage:
In this sense, conspiracy theories are already games, and ARGs are already conspiratorial. The game-like structure and appeal of conspiracy theorizing across an array of media has been readily weaponized by trolls, grifters, true believers, and provocateurs alike.
Engaging in conspiracy culture is like playing a secret game based on insider knowledge, and it is this feeling — of joining an anointed community that has transcended the ordinary world — that propels Q’s current popularity.
Perhaps when the medium is ARG, conspiracy thinking is the message. But revealing the game structures, pop media tropes, and affective rewards that shape movements like QAnon can help inoculate those attracted to such forms of play from full immersion in conspiracy culture.
Likewise, in his outstanding 2020-2021 video essay/performance also titled This Is Not a Game, artist and director Arne Vogelgesang discusses the narratives that shape our reality and examines the growth of QAnon and its affinities to ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) and larping (Live Action Role Playing) in the context of the evolution of US politics. This enlightening (and unsettling) tour-de-force will haunt you forever.
What happens when game-like narratives enter reality? It’s game over.