Pippin Barr

Play It By Trust (Sky Blue Super Mario Bros.)

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Pippin has a newslatter

Check out its landing page on Kit to subscribe and catch any of the missives you missed!

As Slow As Possible

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As Slow As Possible

GAME IDEAS

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Here are a lot of game ideas I used to post to Twitter back in 2015-2018.

░ GAME IDEA
░ ░ DO A THING IN A LUSH
░ ░ ░ BEAUTIFUL WORLD
░ ░
░

░ GAME IDEA
░ ░ YOU GET OLD
░ ░ ░ AND YOU KEEP
░ ░ ░ ░ GETTING OLDER

░
░ ░ GAME IDEA
░ ░ ░
░ ░ ░ ░ MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ HAPPY
░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░

SNAKISMS 2: Snakes We Live By, Volume 1: A-M

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

SNAKISMS 2: Snakes We Live By, Volume 1: A-M

Deleted Pippin Barr Game

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Deleted Pippin Barr Game

RACERS

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

RACERS

Ways of Playing

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: 1D Edition

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: 1D Edition

GAMETHING

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

GAMETHING

GAMETHING was an audio book club about videogames. Experimental game designer Pippin Barr and writer-interviewer David Wolinsky exchanged answerphone messages about anything and everything (mostly everything) they found interesting about videogames.

The episodes are short. You might as well listen to one.

It is as if...

Tue, 13 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were by Pippin Barr and Devolution

I collaborated with Devolution on an exhibition and 8-booklet publication of the games and documentation from my It is as if… series. While I wrote the documentation material itself (via my standard process while making the games, all of which is available and linked from each game’s page on this site), all the hard work on actually curating, laying out, and generally turning this into books was done by the Devolution team, led by the wonderful Csongor Baranyai.

Parseltongue? Designing in the Language of Snake

Tue, 06 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

No, right?

It is as if you were playing a text adventure

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were playing a text adventure

SNAKISTS

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

SNAKISTS

It is as if you were on your phone

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were on your phone

Dead Man in the Bag

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Dead Man in the Bag is a 3D model of a body bag with a body in it. Toes, thighs, stomach, chest, chin, and nose push up the black plastic. A closed zipper across the top makes sure you can’t see inside, keeping the the dead man a mystery. He’s made of 961 vertices and 4 textures.

I’ve never used him in a game, it’s not really the sort of thing I go for. I browsed his page many times on the Unity Asset Store, always wanting to buy him but never going through with it. Until I finally did the other day. You can find him in the 3D Industrial category. He’s from the 19th of January 2017. In that bag all that time. He has three five star ratings.

My Evil Twin

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I happened to run into Google’s Gemini the other day. I was about to start work on a recommendation letter for an ex-student who was applying for a professor job at a university in Montréal. I was prepping myself to get into that specific kind of writing mode when I saw the little star icon at the top right and hovered it to find out it was Google’s AI.

Mouthwashing's lipless mouth

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Rilla and I have been playing Mouthwashing on and off for the last while. It’s not a long game, we just have drifted in and out of consciousness of it. Haven’t finished it, but it’s essentially a horror-in-space kind of experience, but horror in the more existential senses, no scrambling away from monsters in the ducts (yet). More of the “you are the monster in the ducts of your own mind” style of horror.

Timpani

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

What’s that thing people write in their blog and then never return again? I feel like Cory Archangel made a project out of it. Someone like that. Anyway, the point is that people start a blog full of determination and wonder at their own bravery, and then quite understandably never return.

And so it shall probably be with me, though I at least have the sunk cost of about an hour of working with Hugo to try to make it at least somewhat passably useable both in the back end and the front end, so that might give me at least a week of runway? What if I were to add recurring to-dos? What about adding it to my burgeoning habit tracker? How about I make my life miserable as a way to write more? They say the greatest writing comes out of tragedy and sadness, right?

Let's Snake: Ancient Greek Punishment

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Snake: Ancient Greek Punishment

v r 5

Sun, 03 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Artot

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Artot

Staring Contest

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Staring Contest

Super Mario Nothing

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Stuff Games Are Made Of

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The Stuff Games Are Made Of by Pippin Barr

I wrote a book about experimental game design seen through the perspective of the materials of game creation. There are chapters about everything from computation to user interfaces to time. Check out the the stuff games are made of tag to see the games discussed in the book.

Curate Your Own Art Game

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

v r $4.99

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

v r ²

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

v r <sup>2</sup>

It is as if you were doing paperwork

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were doing paperwork

The Artist Is Present

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Sound System I

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Sound System I

What We Did

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

What We Did

Jostle Parent

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Jostle Parent

Let's Play: The Shining

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: The Shining

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment

About

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Hi, I’m Pippin. I make games. I’m kind of on Bluesky, and definitely on email. If you want to stay up to date, you could subscribe to my newsletter!

I’m an Associate Professor in the Department of Design and Computation Arts at Concordia University in Montréal. I’m also the department chair right now. I’m a member of the Technoculture, Art, and Games (TAG) Research Centre, part of the Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture, and Technology.

I teach or have taught creative programming, game design and development, game analysis and criticism, and internet/web-based art. Previously I have taught at the Institute of Digital Games at the University of Malta (2012-2015), the Center for Computer Games Research at the IT University of Copenhagen in Denmark (2009-2012), and the HotSoft Lab at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada (2008-2009).

Curriculum Vitae

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Pippin Barr, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Contact

Phone +1 438 496 7732
Email: pippin.barr@concordia.ca
Web: <www.pippinbarr.com>

Basic information

Date of birth: 7 April 1979
Citizenship: New Zealand, Canada
Languages: English (native speaker), French (intermediate)

Relevant Employment History

Associate Professor (June 2021 – present)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

Assistant Professor (August 2016 – May 2021)
Department of Design and Computation Arts
Concordia University
Montréal, Canada

PONGS

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +0000

PONGS

Les grands classiques de l’horreur en mots cachés

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Les grands classiques de l’horreur en mots cachés by Jonathan Lessard and Pippin Barr

Retellings of the stories of *Dracula*, *Frankenstein*, and more in the form of "word find" puzzles. Each chapter of each book is represented as a word find with specific key words plus a secret message at the end! In French. Created with Jonathan Lessard.

GuruQuest

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

GuruQuest

The Nothings Suite

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The Nothings Suite

Combat at the Movies

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Combat at the Movies

Chesses 3

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Chesses 3

b r 3

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

b r 3

Chesses 2

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Chesses 2

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: The Text Adventure

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: The Text Adventure

The Artist Is Present 2

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The Artist Is Present 2

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Competition Edition

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Competition Edition

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Five-in-One

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Five-in-One

Chesses

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Chesses

Chogue

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Chogue

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Bitsy Demake

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Bitsy Demake

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: The Twine

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: The Twine

Rogess

Tue, 21 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Rogess

Let's Play Permadeath Speedrun

Tue, 14 May 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play Permadeath Speedrun

A permadeath speedrun is a playing of a game in which you try to die as quickly as possible. It's a way of refocusing your attention on a game's affordances and systems of progression as well as its representation and handling of death.

Season 1 (2014)

Featuring: VVVVVV, SUPERHOT, Super Hexagon, Jostle Parent, Hotline Miami, Helix, Desert Golf, GIRP, Sausage!! Sausage!! Sausage!!, Pitfall!, ADVENT, The Graveyard, Kaizo Mario, Super Punch-Out!, The Oregon Trail, Half-Life, Papers, Please,

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Chess Edition

Tue, 23 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Chess Edition

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Teaches Typing

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Teaches Typing

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: UI Edition

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: UI Edition

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Inversion Edition

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Inversion Edition

It is as if you were making love

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were making love

b r 1

Wed, 23 May 2018 00:00:00 +0000

b r 1

Tanks!?

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Tanks!?

Sibilant Snakelikes

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Sibilant Snakelikes

It is as if you were doing work

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were doing work

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: CPU Edition

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: CPU Edition

v r 3

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

v r 3

SNAKISMS

Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

SNAKISMS

Burnt Matches

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Burnt Matches

Shooting

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Shooting

Shooting is a video series in which I playing videogames that include gun violence and shoot the same dead person (or creature) over and over again until I run out of ammunition. For the moment it only includes the initial video drawn from *Half-Life*, but I still have dreams of expanding it over time.

Shooting, season 1

Featuring: Half-Life

It is as if you were playing chess

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It is as if you were playing chess

Independence, Missouri

Thu, 21 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Independence, Missouri

Game Studies

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Game Studies

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Limited Edition

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Limited Edition

v r 2

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

v r 2

v r 1

Thu, 19 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

v r 1

Post-Apocalyptic Abramović Method Game

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Post-Apocalyptic Abramović Method Game

Eveline

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Eveline

Indie Bungle 2: Breakout Indies

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Indie Bungle 2: Breakout Indies

A Series of Gunshots

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

A Series of Gunshots

BREAKSOUT

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

BREAKSOUT

Best Chess

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Best Chess

REAL BAKU 2015

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 00:00:00 +0000

REAL BAKU 2015

The Stolen Art Gallery

Wed, 13 May 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The Stolen Art Gallery

Sound System II

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Sound System II

Let's Play: Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Art Edition Edition

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Let's Play: Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: Art Edition Edition

MANIFEST

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

MANIFEST

Abramović Method Games

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Abramović Method Games

Get X Avoid Y

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Get X Avoid Y

The Junior Mint

Sun, 04 May 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The Junior Mint

Leaderboarder

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Leaderboarder

Don't Drown

Sun, 20 Apr 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Don't Drown

Durations

Sun, 16 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Durations

Lo-Fi Dick Fight

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Lo-Fi Dick Fight

Drosophilia

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Drosophilia

Jostle Bastard

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Jostle Bastard

The Digital Marina Abramović Institute

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The Digital Marina Abramović Institute

Snek.

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Snek.

Mumble Indie Bungle

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Mumble Indie Bungle

Art Game

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Art Game

Kicker

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Kicker

Ludwig Von Beatdown

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Ludwig Von Beatdown

War Game

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

War Game

Hot Coffee

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Hot Coffee

Epic Sax Game

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Epic Sax Game

Two Player Breakout

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Two Player Breakout

You Say Jump I Say How High

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

You Say Jump I Say How High

How to Play a Video Game

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

How To Play a Video Game by Pippin Barr

My 2010 book exploring the world of videogames from the perspective of a creative player and asking what makes them so interesting outside the most obvious factors such as engagement, immersion, and so on. Each chapter is a deep dive into a specific idea such as genre, control systems, avatars, and more.

Pippin Barr

Play It By Trust (Sky Blue Super Mario Bros.)

Newsletter

Pippin has a newslatter

As Slow As Possible

As Slow As Possible

GAME IDEAS

SNAKISMS 2: Snakes We Live By, Volume 1: A-M

SNAKISMS 2: Snakes We Live By, Volume 1: A-M

Deleted Pippin Barr Game

Deleted Pippin Barr Game

RACERS

RACERS

Ways of Playing

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: 1D Edition

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment: 1D Edition

GAMETHING

GAMETHING

Season 1 (2018)

Season 2 (2019)

Links

It is as if...

It is as if you were by Pippin Barr and Devolution

Parseltongue? Designing in the Language of Snake

It is as if you were playing a text adventure

It is as if you were playing a text adventure

SNAKISTS

SNAKISTS

It is as if you were on your phone

It is as if you were on your phone

Dead Man in the Bag

My Evil Twin

Mouthwashing's lipless mouth

Timpani

Let's Snake: Ancient Greek Punishment

Let's Snake: Ancient Greek Punishment

v r 5

Artot

Artot

Staring Contest

Staring Contest

Super Mario Nothing

The Stuff Games Are Made Of

The Stuff Games Are Made Of by Pippin Barr

Curate Your Own Art Game

v r $4.99

v r 2

v r <sup>2</sup>

It is as if you were doing paperwork

It is as if you were doing paperwork

The Artist Is Present

Sound System I

Sound System I

What We Did

What We Did

Jostle Parent

Jostle Parent

Let's Play: The Shining

Let's Play: The Shining

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment

Let's Play: Ancient Greek Punishment

About

Curriculum Vitae

Pippin Barr, PhD

Contact

Basic information

Relevant Employment History

PONGS

PONGS

Les grands classiques de l’horreur en mots cachés

Les grands classiques de l’horreur en mots cachés by Jonathan Lessard and Pippin Barr

Links

GuruQuest

GuruQuest

The Nothings Suite

The Nothings Suite

Combat at the Movies

Combat at the Movies

Chesses 3

Chesses 3

v r ²