I got directed to this game today.

It's extremely cool from a game design standpoint. It's meant not to let you know the rules up front, you have to experiment with it.

I recommend you download the game, play it, and then read the explanation from the designer.

It's a really nice study of abstract concepts being simulated by games. What can be more abstract, than marriage.

http://www.rodvik.com/rodgames/marriage.html

Ken

interesting game! somewhat fun when you figure out (or read) the rules. i couldn't be bothered building much of an interpretation for a game that's so fragile that until i knew all the rules because i was losing quite quickly.

SPOILER WARNING ------- for those who haven't played the game yet, it's ideal that you don't read my post because the author of the game wants people to find their own interpretations of it before reading about his, and these are described here.

reading his interpretation, i found myself at first in disagreement, before being reminded that it's his interpretation of marriage and everyone's experience is somewhat unique.

no longer disagreeing, i now feel sorry for him because of these two points (which both assume that his game is as effective at conveying his experience of marriage as he says it is) :

1. interaction with his wife (depending on your interpretation it be any interaction but the author describes them as "kisses") has quite a negative effect on him. i understand the need not to be "suffocated" and that it makes for a good balancing mechanic in the game, but the game mechanics are dependent on the message he wants to put across, not the other way around, and he quite clearly doesn't deem it necessary to allow for some positive interaction with the wife in his art, but instead the husband survives on every interaction outside the marriage (even the negative black events, though i can understand such experiences strengthening his love for his wife).

2. the fragility of the game shows the fragility of his marriage (which he even expresses in his personal interpretation). that's sad, really. i know some fragile relationships, and the overwhelmingly high divorce rate these days reminds me that chances are, given any random married couple (at least in western society), odds are they're in a "fragile" relationship. it still saddens me to see that this guy's marriage is fragile, too. i know many married couples who would never consider their relationship fragile.

-------------------- END SPOILERS

overall (and not ignoring those above points at all, because i reckon they're both part of the message he's expressing) it is really cool. it's a really unique game that, when understood, has lots of depth and makes absolutely perfect sense. admittedly i couldn't understand much of it without reading his interpretation, but i gave up quite quickly.

i'd love to see other peoples' interpretations of this guy's expression of marriage, or other interpretations of the game.

julz

Hi Julz,

I was very much moved by the game. I agree it's the game designers vision of marriage thus the rule set he is using.

I think the term "Fragile" is a tad bit wrong, but a marriage like a garden if it is neglected will tend to fade away. I like that part of his game concept.

The Kisses are a mechanism to help demonstrate a striving for balance and a harmony is good way to keep the marriage strong.

I also liked the fact that effort from both male and female are needed to avoid one dominating the other.

It's all open to interpetation, but overall I think this is a cool little experiment to use games to convey an abstract concept, the rules are of course the designers.

I do think that a game like this could replace Dr. Phil or some sappy marriage self help books.

Ken