SlugAtlasUC Santa Cruz

ARTG 25Games as Art & Activism

5 creditsGE IMUndergraduateStudent Option

Games are art forms that are widely accessed across a multitude of modern social, cultural, political, and media landscapes. Many games—from ancient to contemporary—express compelling sociopolitical perspectives and critiques. This course explores games as art with a focus on works that intentionally invite social action and change through performance, play, or participation. Games are discussed from critical, artistic, and aesthetic frameworks. Creative assignments and projects are used to explore methods and approaches for creating expressive games and other forms of radical play.

Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.

When it runs

Winter 2027Open Winter 2027

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
TA 2nd StageStaffOpen 0/140

Fall 2026Open Fall 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 11:40am–1:15pm
TA 2nd StageP. BallardOpen 61/103

Spring 2026Open Spring 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 3:20pm–4:55pm
Onlined. wrightOpen 99/100

Winter 2026Open Winter 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Mon Wed 12:00pm–1:35pm
Onlined. wrightOpen 96/100

Fall 2025Open Fall 2025

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Mon Wed 9:20am–10:55am
TA 2nd StageP. BallardOpen 129/140

Who teaches it

InstructorRatingDifficultyWould take againReviews
Patrick Ballard4.8 / 52.5 / 596%23

From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.

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