The Digital Archivist

The Digital Archivist is a 2D linear game inspired by arcade-era and first-generation console games of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, but with an archivist spin. The goal of the game is to reach the highest score achievable by “preserving” as many of the falling formats as possible. Formats are represented by logos of now-obsolete software that the player tries to save using a floppy disk. As the score gets higher and higher, the speed of the formats and the frequency at which they spawn increases, making it harder to continue to play. The controller is a colourful floppy disk that the player is invited to use wearing white gloves (as a nod to archival practices) and move across a small writing desk. A webcam located above the desk, where a small light is also situated, tracks the movement of the floppy disk via a colour tracking algorithm.

The game itself is quite linear, using a similar mechanic to shooter games like Space Invaders – minus the shooting. However, the “enemies” advancing vertically from the top of the screen are meant to be saved and not defeated – the real enemy of the game is digital obsolescence, represented here by formats touching the bottom of the screen. I wanted to create a game that favoured simplicity and ease of use over complex gameplay, in order to focus players’ attention on the concept that inspired the game: digital preservation.

Working as a curator of digital publications in a library setting, I am personally interested in the questions surrounding long-term preservation of software and hardware. In my work, I often encounter the concept of “digital dark age”: the idea of future generations lacking historical information and access to digital formats that have become obsolete and inaccessible. It was first mentioned by Terry Kuny in 1997, showing that even if some progress has been made since then in terms of software migration and emulation strategies, the overall issue remains.

Kuny opens his paper crediting the work of monks and miniaturists in preserving and distributing books during the Middle Ages, work continued nowadays by librarians and archivists and their efforts in preserving historical records (whether in print or digital). For my game aesthetic, I chose to use a mixture of pixel art, old MacOS design and medieval imagery, combined to create a digital archival experience, reinforced by the use of a mockup writing desk as the environment to activate my controller.

The writing desk was built with the help of sculptor Walter Bailey, in his workshop in Sussex. The medieval figures were sourced from The British Library ‘Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts’, here and here.