Serious Game: Generative Systems for Worldbuilding

This course focuses on using software as a storytelling machine to provoke architectural thinking about reality. Digital space is just as influential as physical space; it affects how we interact with the world, even though it is not as tangible as physical material. Through the interaction, simulation and immersion of play, we can experiment with ideas, collect data and create narratives about our vision of the future built environment. Students will learn generative systems such as cellular automata, wave function collapse, and generative AI to construct a fictional world that speculates about future urban spaces using the Unreal Engine (UE) game engine by Epic Games. We will also explore readings from game designers, architects and philosophers to gain a comprehensive understanding of world building. This course consists of three parts: 1) UE basic and generative system, 2) AI generation and video game, and 3) final team project.