Cultures at Play: The History, Aesthetics, and Theory of Games in East Asia

This class explores games and the culture of play in East Asia through a variety of angles, ranging from the aesthetic to the ideological, from the historical to the technological. By doing so, we familiarize ourselves with the increasingly prolific literature on (video) games as well as the longer history of game theory. Though the class serves foremost to explore the theoretical readings within this new discipline, game studies, it also allows the hands-on exploration of particular East Asian games, entertains the question of how to teach games, and encourages students to apply game theory beyond the realm of games studies itself.