Glitches in games are usually a bummer. But Rosa Menkman makes surreal art through <a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670810/a-video-game-thats-meant-to-be-broken#2">a video game that's meant to be glitched out</a>.
Glitches in games are usually a bummer. But Rosa Menkman makes surreal art through a video game that's meant to be glitched out. Rosa Menkman via Co.Design
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The narrative possibilities in video games are endless, even if there are a few well-worn tropes (save the princess, shoot that guy). But what about the really unexpected ways games are used? We’ve rounded up some of the most compelling video-game experiments in 2012. Enjoy.

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In the MIT Game Lab's <em>A Slower Speed of Light</em>, the speed of light <a href="https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-11/mit-video-game-demonstrates-relativity-slowing-speed-light-speed-you/">slowly decreases as you move through the game</a>. Needless to say, things get weird. In addition to serving up a psychedelic experience, the game also teaches you about the Doppler effect and time dilation.

Teaching Relativitiy

In the MIT Game Lab’s A Slower Speed of Light, the speed of light slowly decreases as you move through the game. Needless to say, things get weird. In addition to serving up a psychedelic experience, the game also teaches you about the Doppler effect and time dilation.
People often ask: "Are video games art?" But usually they aren't talking about the supremely addictive iPhone game Angry Birds. Artist Evan Roth made that distinction a little less clear by <a href="http://www.evan-roth.com/work/multi-touch-finger-paintings/">plotting and painting the thumb movements required to beat every level</a> of the game.

Making Thumbprint Art

People often ask: “Are video games art?” But usually they aren’t talking about the supremely addictive iPhone game Angry Birds. Artist Evan Roth made that distinction a little less clear by plotting and painting the thumb movements required to beat every level of the game.
Glitches in games are usually a bummer. But Rosa Menkman makes surreal art through <a href="http://www.fastcodesign.com/1670810/a-video-game-thats-meant-to-be-broken#2">a video game that's meant to be glitched out</a>.

Turning Glitches Into Art

Glitches in games are usually a bummer. But Rosa Menkman makes surreal art through a video game that’s meant to be glitched out.
In the game Minecraft (primer <a href="https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-01/finding-fun-one-brick-time/">here</a>), you can build whatever you want out of blocks--it's a virtual Lego master class. One 16-year-old made a fully functional scientific graphing calculator with it. See a video <a href="https://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2012-03/video-giant-scientific-graphing-calculator-built-out-minecraft-blocks-16-year-old/">here</a>.

Calculating Square Roots And Graphing Quadratic Functions

In the game Minecraft (primer here), you can build whatever you want out of blocks–it’s a virtual Lego master class. One 16-year-old made a fully functional scientific graphing calculator with it. See a video here.
Alan Kwan strapped on a pair of camera bifocals one day and started recording his life. Every night, he'd remake some of those recordings into <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/22/lifelogger-makes-his-memories-video-game_n_1901678.html">a frightening and fascinating game called <em>Bad Trip</em></a>, a creative way of touring Kwan's mind.

Exploring Memories

Alan Kwan strapped on a pair of camera bifocals one day and started recording his life. Every night, he’d remake some of those recordings into a frightening and fascinating game called Bad Trip, a creative way of touring Kwan’s mind.
For five years, the BotPrize was a test of artificial intelligence in games. Could a machine in the game convince players it was human? This year, not one but <a href="https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-09/artificially-intelligent-gamer-bots-convince-judges-theyre-more-human-humans/">two game bots passed</a>.

Beating The Turing Test

For five years, the BotPrize was a test of artificial intelligence in games. Could a machine in the game convince players it was human? This year, not one but two game bots passed.
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