Breeding unease and distrust through disruptive design in amnesia: A machine for Pigs

This chapter explores the use of disruptive design for breeding feelings of unease and distrust, both enhancing, and enhanced by, the neo-Victorian Gothic horror aesthetic of Pigs. Conceptualisations of monstrous ‘otherness’ and ancestry, disruption of the environment and the player’s attentional periphery, and the combination of urban-industrial sublimity and surrealism, are each discussed in the context of crafting a player experience that emphasises individual interpretation. Each of these topics is addressed from the author’s perspective, whose role as game designer for Pigs affords a privileged position from which to offer an analysis of designer intent throughout the game’s lifecycle, including conceptualisation and design philosophy, development, playtesting, and reflection on post-release player engagement.