Playing a video game in front of a live audience is transforming it into performance art. Asses.Masses, a Canadian game created by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim, brought 70 players to a theatre for an 8-hour experience about donkeys, reincarnation and organised labour.
The setup was simple: on stage stood a controller and in the seats, the audience. Anyone who wanted to play became the avatar of the crowd, guiding a group of donkeys through a surreal journey. The game began with questions about donkeys in different languages, quickly revealing that collaboration was key to progressing. With Spanish and engineering questions being discussed alongside some obscure trivia about female donkeys (called jennets), it became clear that this was no solo experience.
The crowd's varied responses added an unpredictable element to the performance. One person might shout advice while another knows a crucial piece of information, such as engineering principles. The on-stage player would need to make decisions based on the collective input from everyone in attendance.
This experiment with live gameplay turned Asses.Masses into something unique and engaging – not just for its story or characters, but also for its collaborative gameplay mechanics. By incorporating a large group of players, it becomes more than just an interactive show; it's an active conversation between different minds.
The real test came when the players had to make tough decisions that affected their progress. The result was both chaotic and exhilarating – not unlike watching someone else play while participating as part of the collective effort. Some players felt overwhelmed by the number of opinions, much like those who try to corral ideas from an opinionated membership.
Despite some minor issues with herding cats in a sense, Asses.Masses proved itself to be a compelling piece of performance art. It brought out a camaraderie that's hard to find when playing solo – and inspired the thought that more games should incorporate similar elements of mass participation.
The setup was simple: on stage stood a controller and in the seats, the audience. Anyone who wanted to play became the avatar of the crowd, guiding a group of donkeys through a surreal journey. The game began with questions about donkeys in different languages, quickly revealing that collaboration was key to progressing. With Spanish and engineering questions being discussed alongside some obscure trivia about female donkeys (called jennets), it became clear that this was no solo experience.
The crowd's varied responses added an unpredictable element to the performance. One person might shout advice while another knows a crucial piece of information, such as engineering principles. The on-stage player would need to make decisions based on the collective input from everyone in attendance.
This experiment with live gameplay turned Asses.Masses into something unique and engaging – not just for its story or characters, but also for its collaborative gameplay mechanics. By incorporating a large group of players, it becomes more than just an interactive show; it's an active conversation between different minds.
The real test came when the players had to make tough decisions that affected their progress. The result was both chaotic and exhilarating – not unlike watching someone else play while participating as part of the collective effort. Some players felt overwhelmed by the number of opinions, much like those who try to corral ideas from an opinionated membership.
Despite some minor issues with herding cats in a sense, Asses.Masses proved itself to be a compelling piece of performance art. It brought out a camaraderie that's hard to find when playing solo – and inspired the thought that more games should incorporate similar elements of mass participation.
! I mean, who wouldn't want to play a game with their friends in real life? It's like they took The Avengers and put all the characters into one game 
. But for real though, I think what makes Asses.Masses so cool is how it combines gaming with live theater - it's like an immersive experience from a Wes Anderson movie 
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. And yeah, some people might feel overwhelmed with all the opinions, but I think that's what makes it so interesting - you never know how things are going to go down.
. And can we talk about the donkeys for a sec? 
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the game is like one big brainstorming session 
with 70 people! who needs solo gaming when you can have a donkey squad 
?! 
it's not just about gaming anymore, it's an art form with audience participation - it feels like a true community building moment 
and yeah some people might feel overwhelmed by all the opinions but that's part of the charm 
can you imagine playing games like this at music festivals or something? it would be so much fun! 
. And yeah, sometimes I get frustrated when people don't know the answer to something and you have to explain it... but in a game like this, it's actually kind of awesome that you can learn from each other 
And the fact that it's still a performance art thingy makes it even more interesting. It's like, what happens next? Do they do a whole new game based on player input? The possibilities are endless! 
. I loved how one person might shout "try again!" while another knows the exact code to fix it 
. But overall, I'm totally here for this kind of interactive gaming experience! Can't wait to see what other creators come up with 
. And the fact that it's not just about winning but also about collaboration and working together as a team is just, wow 
. And I'm totally on board with this, let's make more games that incorporate mass participation, I want to play something like this again ASAP 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of a wild donkey ride 
. And yeah, some people might feel overwhelmed, but that just adds to the excitement, right? 
I just watched this crazy game thingy with 70 players, and it was wild! They were all trying to help these donkeys in some kind of journey, but it was so unpredictable because everyone had different ideas 
. It was like having a giant conversation and the game was just facilitating it. The best part was when they had to make tough decisions as a group - it was both chaotic and amazing at the same time 
. it's not just about playing donkeys or whatever, but it's also this huge conversation with the crowd... i made a diagram to show how it works:
. and yeah, some people got overwhelmed but that was part of the charm too... it's like a big messy conversation in a room full of people 
I think this game is a great example of how gaming can be more than just a solo experience, it can bring people together and create something truly special. The idea of collective gameplay mechanics where everyone's input affects the outcome is genius! It's not just about playing the game, but also about being part of a community and contributing to a shared goal. I think this is the future of gaming and I'm excited to see more games incorporate similar elements. 
. I love how everyone's input added to the experience, even if some people got a bit overwhelmed 
. But overall, Asses.Masses is a game-changer (pun intended) and I'm excited to see where this trend goes from here 
and it was so much fun!!! but anyway back to this asses.masses thing... what if they add multiplayer in the actual asses.game? that would be lit