🎶 I’m back, back in the New York Groove—

After several years away from Tribeca, I was able to return in person to experience the festival. As many can attest, there is a frantic sort of comfort as you bounce from event to event, drinking in the films and programs. My first stop? The immersive and gaming preview.

This aspect of the fest is always exciting, a room dressed in an aesthetic voyage that transports you immediately to the technological world and allows you to be taken away.

Where it guides you is in your hands as several projects offer unique stories. The range and culmination of various art forms (AI, AR, MR, and VR) is a wonder to behold. From creators  all over the world, this is my envelopment in the 2023 Tribeca Games & Immersive Experience showcase that left me feeling inspired.

Immersive

Fortune (Claire Meinhard, Emilie Valentin, Nicolas Bourniquel, Brett Gaylor)

Fortune provides an AR experience through Snapchat that introduces you to multiple characters that you can learn about, each with their own history with money. Whether it be a farmer or a counterfeiter, the short and true stories mix elements of humor and curiosity.

Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics (Terril Calder)

This journey of a Métis Baby Girl, a real passion project for Canada’s Terril Calder, Meneath: The Mirrors of Ethics is an exploration.

The stop motion was so impactful and with the mix of spoken words, the artistic medium was transcendent. It’s a profound portrayal of Indigenous culture and identity displayed in stunning animation.

In Search of Time (Pierre Zandrowicz, Matt Tierney)

This art installation weaves animation and documentary elements to transport the viewer with visual and auditory expressions. After viewing a set of slides a beautiful video plays. I sat there alone in the dark and soaked in the poetic vision that felt fervent and intimate, and yet conjured individual memories of mine. It’s an intersection that signifies why art is so profound.

Maya – the Birth (Chapter 1) (Poulomi Basu, CJ Clarke)

What a gorgeous setup! It’s one that can be admired prior to actually diving in. Once engulfed in the story, focusing on Maya, a young woman who discovers a power after her menstruation arrives, Maya – the Birth is an odyssey of feminine energy and powerful imagery.

Monstrorama (Clément Deneux, Emilie Valentin)

This one was so much fun. I watched as others before me went through this horror-inspired museum of monsters and their energy was contagious.

An elevator takes you down, down down, and has you focus on a specific creature (this one, a werewolf). The mixed reality transforms the room and allows for an interactive discovery and creative initiation. As I fumbled through the directions I couldn’t help my wide-tooth smile.

For more information on the full program click here.

Gaming

Provided in 30-minute demos I sampled two games that had different storylines, but each featured choice based gameplay.

Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP) – Canada

The hand-animated, cartoon-like graphics combine an adventure story that follows Fang, a young student navigating the challenges of youth with a looming danger nearby.

There are a lot of options for dialogue (often scrolling text messages) that affect how the next scene progresses. It’s smart and humorous, and the time flies by as you meet her friends and family, and wonder where your decisions will ultimately take you.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios – Humble Games) – Australia

You play as Grace, who is granted the power of a Muse. What does this mean? Why was the previous muse murdered? Part mystery, part fantasy, as well as a musical, Stray Gods is an entertaining balance that will make musical fans of us all.

With a talented cast that sings and performs interactive musical numbers, this was a gaming feat that could be appreciated by gamer’s of any age.

For more information on the full program click here.

My only regret is that I didn’t get to experience them all.

The immersive and gaming showcase will run at Spring Studios from June 9th-17th.