My Internship with Game Genius

As a Game Genius intern, I was able to bridge the gap between my professional and personal self. At my core, I am a very playful and fun-loving person. Despite my personality, I was convinced that being a professional required a serious temperament and a “no-nonsense attitude.” However, by working with Game Genius, I was attuned to the truth that work environments can be both playful and productive. This synthesis of play and productivity deepened my sense of connection to Game Genius, my colleagues, and the work I was doing. Therefore, my internship experience allowed me to further define who I am as a professional.

Another aspect of my Game Genius internship that I valued was that creativity was encouraged. At every step of the process, the ideas and contributions of my team were given consideration. This encouragement inspired me to think deeply about the various projects that I was assigned because I knew the ideas wouldn’t be disregarded. This ultimately made me feel that I was involved in the process, and I valued that.

Another aspect of this internship that made my experience amazing was that I had the chance to participate in the creation of two games, Splash Down and the District Hunt. For as long as I can remember, I have always had an affinity for games and play. Therefore, participating in the process was like a dream come true. I had the chance to think about game mechanics and play in a way I had previously never experienced. Ultimately, my experiences as a Game Genius intern will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Roddy McKenzie: What Play Means to Me

The joy of working at Game Genius is the ability to explore new ways to implement play in our lives. Mark Twain's Thomas Sawyer said, “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and . . . Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” I share these sentiments on play. Play is unbridled, instinctive, free, and natural. Play is the surplus, play is discretionary, play is the high state of being after the tough, difficult, and necessary work is completed.

For me, if play is voluntary, then work is obligatory. Work has a clear outcome, real-world consequences, hard results. Play at its core is gratuitous, similar to giving. The players get something out of playing... that's why he plays. The result is not what matters, it is secondary, the primary goal of playing is the experience.

The joy of experiencing play brings us all together. Playing, at least for a short moment, are times when we can forget our credentials, race, and class, and other social dividers. Play can be tickling a loved one, competing in a game, or a conversation among friends. It is in these unstructured, spontaneous moments of play that we indirectly learn more about ourselves and others.

Play however can be serious. If the simplest form of play is unstructured, then play that is structured is a game. Games have all sorts of rules, timing conventions, and other regulations. It is these structures that aid in learning and problem-solving. Paul Rand once said, “projects that engage the play instinct seek to bridge the gap between material and form, art and design, as well as heart, head, and hand.” At Game Genius our work is play. We do the tough tasks of creating games, designing activities, and giving time so that others can enjoy the simple experience of playing. Some of these experiences are whimsical, others are for teams to make tough decisions, some are physical and involve walking and searching different locales. No matter the form, we try to incorporate a variety of play activities so that the mind, body, and spirit can be engaged.

To me a world without a play is boring and mundane. I will explain more on the power of play in a longer form post here on the blog and impact report. Thanks for supporting our work at Game Genius and making social impact fun.

2021 Impact Theme: Climate and Environment

As Game Genius settles into its new nonprofit status, we continue to lean on things that have worked well for the last few years. Since 2019, our public experiences (i.e. District Hunt) have revolved around a changing impact theme. We started with Women's History, focusing particularly on the 100 year anniversary of a women's right to vote. In 2020, we featured Mental Health -- a topic that became increasingly relevant as people endured the pandemic.

This year, our efforts turn to the Climate and Environment. It is undoubtedly a humongous category and we won't cover everything. Instead, over the course of 2021, we intend to highlight a handful of key issues and demonstrate critical intersections with other ugly problems, such as social and racial injustice. Whether you're an expert in the field or curious to learn more, we hope engaging with us provides personal value and furthers the public conversation.

To enhance our overall impact, we're excited to announce a new springtime event called Play Week. From April 17-25 (centered around Earth Day on April 22), Game Genius will host a light series of game challenges, design workshops, and interactive panels that aim to promote the power of play in catalyzing climate and environment solutions. The daily sessions are free to attend, and we'll be looking for partners to invite their networks and/or help curate a play session.

Game Genius will also host its third annual District Hunt in the fall. We have found this event to be a wonderful storytelling tool that immerses players, partners, and sponsors in a DC adventure. Starting this year, we also plan to provide a deeper learning opportunity through being a volunteer on our event planning committee. If you're interested in joining our design team, please email info@gamegenius.org!

Finally, we will share resources from research and planning on our website, as well as publish a physical tabletop game inspired by the annual theme. We recognize Climate and Environment issues won't disappear on December 31, but these evergreen materials represent ways Game Genius can continue to be stewards and advocates beyond 2021.