Project Site

Level 101: A Video Game About Video Games

Summary From Project Site 

“I developed a serious game entitled Level 101: A Video Game About Video Games, a playable video game that explores, explains, and interrogates the video game in order to understand the medium through a methodology of play. In doing so, Level 101 puts disparate elements of Game Studies into practice due to its branching paths, introducing players to three distinct frameworks for understanding video games: 1) history, 2) design, and 3) theory. Each of these three branches features five stages designed to educate players about the video game medium, as well as encourage critical reflection on video games and the process of playing through them.”

Items Included in Formal Submission 

PDF of traditional dissertation and link to test play of the game

Digital Component/Project Type

Accompanying game that engages topics raised in the written component allowing for experiential engagement with its concepts

Link to Dissertation Materials 

Official Michigan State University repository for dissertation deposit

Miscellaneous Materials 

• 2020 DH@MSU Summer Seed Grant Report: Wigard, Justin. “Level 101: A Video Game About Video Games–Game Development in a Global Pandemic”
• 2018 DH@MSU Summer Seed Grant Report: Wigard, Justin. “Level 101: A Video Game About Video Games – Interdepartmental Collaboration, Tutorials, and Pre-Production”