Some of the brightest minds behind video games, including former Uncharted lead Richard Lemarchand, The Sims' Will Wright, and Journey's Jenova Chen, took to the stage at GDC 2013 to share their ideas for humanity's last game, as part of the final Game Design Challenge.
Courtesy of the GDC Vault, this 90-minute panel was the final Game Design Challenge. Ideas include a card-like game where people's memories battle each other and serve as education for aliens about humans, an augmented reality game that consumes reality and leads to nuclear bombing, and an actual game that was built and buried in the Nevada desert for one person to find.
Session Name: Humanity's Last Game: The Game Design Challenge Final Championship
Speaker(s): Richard Lemarchand, Jenova Chen, Harvey Smith, Eric Zimmerman, Jason Rohrer, Steve Meretzky, Erin Robinson, Will Wright
Company Name(s): School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, thatgamecompany, Arkane Studios, Independent, Independent, Playdom, Ivy Games, Stupid Fun Club
Track / Format: Design
Overview: The 10th and final Game Design Challenge brings together winners from the past for an ultimate, final showdown. Over the years, we have seen challenges that range from creating a game that expresses the poetry of Emily Dickenson to a game that uses needle and thread as an interface to a game that tells the story of the designer's first sexual experience.
This year, for the final Game Design Challenge, panelists must design the last game that humanity will ever play. Is it a game that goes on forever? Or perhaps a game that leads to the extinction of humanity? Or a game that brings humanity immortality? Winners from the last 10 years of the Game Design Challenge will each present a unique solution to this game design problem. As always, you will play a crucial role. After the panelists present, the audience will vote to see who will become the winner of the Game Design Challenge Final Championship.
Video: Game Design Challenge determines humanity's last game
Game Design Challenge winners from the past 10 years gathered at GDC 2013 to share their designs for the last game that humanity will ever play; only one walked away grand champion, by audience vote.