Exploring Consciousness Through Gaming Mechanics

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Jeff Howard. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 3 ‘Garden of Arcane Delights’ member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. 

The Patreon page offers much more content as well, including a book club that meets 4 times per year via Zoom. If you are interested in esoteric topics, please check it out!  www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion 

~ Many thanks, Stephanie

Dr. Jeff Howard is a scholar of occulture and esotericism. He works as Associate Professor of Games and Occulture at Falmouth University in Cornwall, where he specialises in the occult and games. He is the author of two monographs Quests: Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives (now in its second edition) and Game Magic: A Designer’s Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice. He translates theory into practice as a core team member of Apocalypse Studios, where he consults on worldbuilding and systems design. He is also the creator of “Howard’s Law of Occult Design,” published in 100 Principles of Game Design. Howard has presented on games and the occult at a variety of international conferences, including Berlin Occulture, Trans-States, and ESSWE9. In addition, he has been an invited speaker at Viktor Wynd’s Last Tuesday Society, where he has spoken about folk magic and folk games. Howard studies Sabbatic Craft at the intersection of the Left Hand Path and the Typhonian current. Through his scholarship and creative practice, Howard is an ambassador for the power of play as a transformative and transcendent practice.
[ Falmouth University Website]


In this interview, Jeff shares his background as a “technomage” and talks about his understanding of ludomancy and the history of the concept. With regard to classic role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, he discusses the effects that the moral panic known as the ‘Satanic Panic’ had on gaming and game developers, not only during the ‘peak’ years but also in later years. 

Jeff also talks about ‘magical’ or ‘occult’ games that have been inspired by various forms of media, including the sci-fi/fantasy/horror genre, as well as how the motivations and attitudes of players have changed over the years. 

On an historical level, Jeff gives some examples of games that are based on occult groups/traditions. He also talks about how he approaches his own game design with occult practices as a starting point, and gives some examples of games that people could look into, should they be interested. 

Lastly, Jeff expands on his concept of ‘playful occulture’ as the basis for an upcoming monograph, and shares a bit about an article he co-wrote for RENSEP, titled "To Reveal the Hidden Kingdom of Eld: Andrew Chumbley, the Cultus Sabbati, and Imaginal Space in Cornwall” that can be found on the RENSEP website for members. (Just a reminder: RENSEP membership is free of charge for Tiers 3 and 4!) 

PROGRAM NOTES

Game Magic | Putting the Magic Back in Magic Systems (website with all links)

Game Magic Book | Game Magic

Quests | Design, Theory, and History in Games and Narratives | Jeff Ho

100 Principles of Game Design

Arcana: A Ceremonial Magic Simulator (Updated 2021) | Game Magic

Jeff Howard - YouTube

Left Hand Path of Game Design

Dr Jeff Howard

Jeff Howard - Ludomancy: Games as Occult Practice in Between States

Jeff Howard (@gamemagicarcana) • Instagram photos and videos

homo_ludens_johan_huizinga_routledge_1949_ : Johan Huizinga : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Making Deep Games by Doris C Rusch | Goodreads

Passage: a Gamma256 video game by Jason Rohrer

Kult: Divinity Lost | KULT

Books by Jack Vance (Author of The Dying Earth)

Moorcography.org – Moorcography.org: The Michael Moorcock Bibliography

Earthsea Cycle Series by Ursula K. Le Guin

The 9 Quantic Gamer Types - Quantic Foundry

ich.io

DriveThruRPG - The Largest RPG Download Store!

Steam Search

Cultist Simulator – Weather Factory

Home - Research Network for the Study of Esoteric Practices


Theme Music and Editing: Daniel P. Shea
End Production: Stephanie Shea