Games as art.
My teaching focuses on supporting independent thinkers who can situate their creations in artistic and cultural contexts.
In my classes, students examine how rules and interaction produce meaning, and how designing games can itself function as artistic research.
Teaching methods
- Lecture + discussion
Reframing games within artistic and cultural contexts. - Case study analysis
Close reading of relevant works. - Critical questions
Prompts connecting personal making and social context.
Perspective
Having studied internationally, I bring a multicultural lens that helps students position their work within broader cultural and theoretical frameworks.
Drawing from my own creative work, I show how play’s constraints and affordances shape expression.
Courses taught
- Game Studies (Japanese Private University in Saitama, 2018–2019) — Introduction to games as cultural and artistic media; history, theory, and critical analysis.
- Game Studies (Japanese Private University in Tokyo, 2025– ) — Undergraduate major course on games as cultural and artistic media, covering theory and analysis.
Future teaching topics
- Games as Artistic Research Game design as a method of artistic inquiry.
- Empathy and Play Designing interactions to shape emotional and prosocial experiences.
- Puzzle Design and Narrative Puzzles as tools for storytelling.
- Global Perspectives in Game Studies Cross-cultural approaches to play and design.
Opportunities
Open to guest lectures and seminar talks related to game studies and artistic practice.
Email: info@ponomae.com