Farklempt!

Wired has an article about an art/game project called The smile project. New media artist and computer programmer Jason Van Anden has created an online 'game' or 'art piece' called Farklempt!. According to Wired, the inspiration for this game came from his eight years of group therapy and observation of group dynamics.

I just tried it out, and frankly I find this to be a sad excuse for a game. Well, group therapy is hardly a cheerful inspiration for anything, but that is not the reason why this game, basically, sucks. There are several reasons why this game isn't working.

First, it does not lend itself to easily recognizable conventions from other games. No wonder the artist/game developer strongly advice users to read the games rule section. After reading this, or rather skimming it, I still have not found any real reasons for playing it. And a game need to tell me this! Having an elaborate psychological 'theory' or meta-rationale for the game, does not relinquish my need for a goal, even if the meta-reflections are interesting on its own behalf.

Another reason why the game fails, is because it tries to be two things at the same time: both an art piece and a game. The art-part of it strives for an uniqueness that usually is valued high in the art context, while the need for recognizable play and game elements are neglected. This is the main reason it fails as a game, but it might also destroy it's ability to work as a piece of art. Any art piece will benefit from being put in a context, as art does not always reveal it's inherent meaning at the first glance, but it is hardly a mark of quality that you have to read an explanation to grasp the basic meaning of it.