The Word Gamivism

The word ‘Gamivism’ is a portmanteau of the words Game and activism.

Gamivism is a form of activism enacted through games, games in this moments can incarcerate a range of elements such as mental health awareness, anti capitalism, feminism, environmentalism, ant segregation, neurodiversity or solidarity to name a few.

Gamivism include not just digital and physical games but also forms of play. It can facilitate expression, empowerment, action and change. Many games that fit into this category do not necessarily define themselves as part of the Gamivism movement neither do their developers define themselves as Gamivists, but this a a large movement which is growing more and more with the availability of tools, technology, and equipment which is more accessible for independent developers to create and share their games and playful experiences.

Games a a beautifully immersive, reflective, inclusive, exclusive, fun, scary, varied medium that lend themselves so well to sharing ideas, thoughts, feeling and memories. They can be a reflection of the problems present in society but also provided ideations of societal growth.

This is an area I hope to hear more about in the future and explore further in my own research, it is varied, influential and in a way creates a unique timeline of sociocultural and political movement and societal focuses over the years.