The “Hunger Games”, thematically based on the book and movie franchises of the same name, has emerged as a kind of competitive, PvP, arena-style Minecraft mini-game, played on purpose-built maps created by players. Examples of the genre can be found all over YouTube, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4dhIMVtPVE

Hunger Games maps enforce the game mechanics through some combination of explicitly stated rules of conduct (signs posted in-world, hosts/admins who kick out people who aren’t playing fair) and procedural controls (game modes and, especially in more game versions iterations, command blocks). They often mimic certain conventions of the fictional Hunger Games they are patterned after, such as piston-based player entry elevators, a “cornucopia” of food, weapons, and other equipment in the start area, and a hostile jungle wilderness with plenty of places to hide and plenty of deadly hazards. Some maps incorporate playful alternative visual/spatial theming, such as the “4J Studios Lounge” map seen in the video linked above, or themes based on other media franchises, like The Simpsons or Super Mario Bros.

We are interested in examining the tension between implicit transmedia narrative/indexing and game mechanics in Minecraft Hunger Games scenarios. We are exploring how the genre can be adapted or subverted to emphasize different game mechanics (e.g. emergent cooperation, non-lethal force, lethal trap-based combat) and to interrogate sociological questions. We ask, to what extent can we bend the genre to these purposes while still having it remain “Hunger Games” in some sense?

The project consists of two stages. Currently, we are surveying and documenting existing practices in the design and play of Hunger Games scenarios. In the second stage of the project, we will develop new design ideas and build them into a Hunger Games map of our own, and subsequently play-test our creation with unsuspecting tributes volunteers.