Playfool

03/04/2026

[[𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮]] 𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙔!

Following up from the game jam, on the 28th, we play tested all the games our London jammers made. From hunting for the perfect colour, to becoming an agent that reports IRL glitches, each game allowed us to experience and see the city from a completely different perspective ⸝⸝꙳

We didn’t get a chance to try out all of the 60+ games submitted but you can see and play them yourself over on itch.io/jam/alternative-reality-jam

Thank you Newspeak House for letting us use the space this time, and thank you for bringing the game communities together!

And thank you again to all who joined!! Let’s stay in touch ୧(˃◡˂)୨୧(˃◡˂)୨ 
.osp .lights .ez Kin and Xinyue

01/04/2026

[[𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮]] 𝙅𝘼𝙈!

These past few weeks we’ve had the pleasure of hosting the London edition of [[alternate reality]]: WEEK! led by Shanghai based collective . On the 21st, over a dozen participants joined us for a game jam all about exploring the potential of alternative reality games. After an incredibly inspiring talk by Matt Adams from , everyone got exploring what it means to intervene in IRL worlds ☼꒰๑ϋ๑꒱♬

In total, the game jam gathered over 60 game entires from all over the world! We’re so happy to be involved in the project, and joined by our fellow international cohosts .games .har .art.games

Congratulations for London jammers! It was a first for us to hosting a game jam, but we enjoyed it a lot! Looking forward to doing it all again next year!osp .lights .ez Kin and Xinyue

And huge thanks to .fyi for supporting the project and letting us use their great studio ✧⁺⸜(●′▾‵●)⸝⁺✧

05/03/2026

𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘼𝙋𝙋𝙇𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎!

[[alternative reality]] WEEK! is a one day game jam (21st March) followed by playtest session (28th March) designing playful experiences that combine game mechanics with the real world. No-tech, low-tech, or high-tech all welcome. Initiated by shanghai-based collective , the London edition will be hosted by art/design duo Playfool.

“Wait, do you mean Augmented Reality (AR)? “

Nope!

“Do you mean Alternate Reality Game (ARG)?”
.Well, kind of!

Alternative, as in alternative games, alternative tech, alternative media, alternative infrastructure: another, perhaps more radical way of engaging with what’s already here. We’re inspired by practices including Alternate Reality Games, Pervasive Games, Urban Games, LARP, Immersive Theater, etc., but we’re not precious about genre.

You are in an [[alternative reality]] game. You have been playing it your whole life. It has weather, people, rankings, transit systems of varying reliability… and no clear win condition.

[[alternative reality]]: WEEK! takes this situation seriously, we want to welcome game creators and players across time-zones to make and play [[alternative reality]] games that spill out of the screen and into the IRL world.

🗓️ 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣?
[[alternative reality]]: JAM! (gamejam) - 21st of March (Sat) 9:30-20:00
[[alternative reality]]: PLAY! (playtesting) - 28th of March (Sat) 13:00-18:00

👀 𝙒𝙝𝙤?
The in person gamejam event in the London branch will be open to up to 12 game makers and creatives interested in exploring alternative reality games. Whether or not you have experience in making games, we welcome anyone who is open-minded and committed to the week to sign up.

🔗 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙚?
The link is in our bio :) The application is open until the 14th March.

~
This project is funded by .fyi

03/11/2022

Drawing with wood. | Friday Late

Photo

02/11/2022

Forest Crayons at as part of Home of Design Participant

The exhibition continues until spring 2023 in case you missed it during the 🌳❤️

Photo by

25/09/2022

So grateful to be given the opportunity to hold a workshop all about our Forest Crayons for London Design Festival this year as a part of the 10 year project titled !

We guided participants to mix, melt and mould their very own crayon made entirely from just locally sourced beeswax (from the museum’s own hives🐝) and wood.

The sessions were such a blast, we really hope we get another chance to hold them again in the future!

Thank you so much inviting us and making it happen! 🌳🖍️

25/09/2022

Meguru is a series of plates made through a workshop with the community of Tsubame-Sanjo, a Japanese town renowned for over 400 years of metalworking.

Inspired by a Korean chef, Jeong Kwan’s philosophy, this project aims to elevate the dining experience to connect the minds of every part of the process from crafting to dining.

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Project Title: Meguru
Collaboration:
Photo:
Special thanks: and the Tsubame-Sanjo community ❤️

04/09/2022

03/09/2022

Each plate in Meguru was produced by members of the Tsubame-Sanjo community, including craftsmen and children.

Starting from an identical disc of copper, each plate was customised through the process of tinning (錫引き). Although traditionally a technique to prevent rusting and increase longevity, Meguru applies the technique as a manner of self expression. In a manner similar to calligraphy, each participant hand wiped molten tin onto the copper surface to create a unique, mirror-like pattern.

This was a very personal and intimate process as each resulting design was a direct reflection of the maker, and how they see the world. By involving the community, the plates act as a collective reflection of Tsubame-Sanjo’s circular attitudes centred around locally sourced materials and traditional craft techniques.

Images by