Even in Arcadia

Entrant 2020


CREATOR
Phoebe Shalloway // Girl Debord Games

Description

In a distant future in which capitalism runs rampant, corporations have replaced governments, and planet Earth has long been relegated to legend, society constantly moves to new planets and throws away the old ones like last year's model of smartphone.

You are a guest at the launch party for the most recently developed planet, Arcadia. Wander the Arcadia Botanical Gardens' various rooms and eavesdrop on the other distinguished guests and investors whose stories and dramas play out in a repeating cycle over the course of the evening. If you miss part of a conversation, you'll always have another chance to catch it during the next cycle. One cycle lasts approximately half an hour.

The game explores humanity's relationship to nature under capitalism, speculating on what "nature" would look when completely constructed by humans, and prompting the question of how close we may already be to such a reality.


Video