antigame

A game which cannot be played in the conventional sense.

Clearly, antigames such as Progress Quest and Achievement Unlocked don't appeal to players through high levels of playability. On the contrary: they are played by parodically minded users who don't mind sacrificing their usual gaming experience for various degrees of humorous self-reflexivity and self-criticism.

Just like in Arcangel's work, we are confronted with an antigame: all the interactivity and stress in the game are removed, and we experience a calm and meditative atmosphere.

A strategy in which a player refuses to participate in a game or replaces it with a game with different rules.

The principle is the same as in kicking the provocative boxer or using strategic weapons in response to a tactical nuclear challenge. A strategy designed for refusing to play a game might be called an antigame strategy.

When capacity to respond to any aggression at a corresponding level of violence does not exist, the strategy of antigame is recommended.