A MAZE. / Berlin 2022

This talk will detail the videogame UnearthU and how its durational narrative is used to create a space for self-reflection, care, and healing for the player, while taking on different approaches to environmentalism. UnearthU mimics hypercapitalist Silicon Valley-esque apps that promise big personal transformation with super-efficiency. It follows an A.I. named KARE designed by a fictional start-up called FRTHR which has created her to guide the user through a seven-day wellness bootcamp of sorts. This piece is about the intersections of capitalism and psychosocial disability, the role of technology in the destruction of the environment, and how videogames may be used to orient players towards reflection, care, and healing. The game’s design is intended to unravel the predatory and harmful techniques of neoliberal wellness while speculating on the possibility of a healing-oriented creative technology.