agonistics: a language game

w a r r e n   s a c k   <wsack@media.mit.edu>

• Agonistics is a game played by sending email messages to an online discussion.
• The goal of the game is to win points, move to the center of the circle, and get your words displayed on the left of the screen.
• Players are randomly assigned a face.
• Players win points by engaging in dialogue with other players. 
• When a player wins points, the player’s face is moved towards the center.
• The faces of players in dialogue are moved together.
• When a player in a dialogue group posts a message that addresses a theme the group is discussing, the theme is shown and a sentence from the player’s message is highlighted at the top of the screen. 
• Players who are not in dialogue with others never have their words highlighted.
• Click here to play Agonistics by participating in the Usenet newsgroup alt.politics.bush.