In this episode, Joel and Tim discuss some of the ways politics interact with games, and some of the ways different games have portrayed morality, through systems and narrative. Topics Discussed: <ul> <li>Morality in narrative branching choices (KOTOR, Jedi Academy)</li> <li>Gradient / reputation systems (Fallout, RDR)</li> <li>Frostpunk's assumption that survival requires -- and is worth -- moral compromise</li> <li>Restorative Justice (wherein we miss the opportunity to say, "He repented but it was something of a Tolkien gesture") and RDR2</li> <li>Unapologetic storytelling by Bethesda in Wolfenstein 1 and 2 vs cowardly corporate hedging by Ubisoft in Farcry 5 and the Division 2</li> <li>Does a game have a moral responsibility to tell the truth? If so, is that more or less than any other art form?</li> <li>"Liberal" impulse to censore vs conservative impulse to erase</li> </ul> See also: <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/220290/between-the-world-and-me-by-ta-nehisi-coates/"> Between the World and Me</a>, by Ta-Nahesi Coates</li> <li><a href= "https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7xwejg/wolfenstein-2-confrontational-black-panthers-and-very-reasonable-nazis"> Wolfenstein 2: Confrontational Black Panthers and very reasonable Nazis</a>, by Rob Zacny at Vice</li> </ul>

Ep. 09: The News: COVID, Erosion of Democracy, the DNC

Seria Ludo is a podcast about games, game design, games criticism, and the politics that underlie all of it. New episodes every week, each focusing on a specific topic of games and game design.