FACTSHEET
Developer
Joseph DeLappe & Biome Collective
Founding date
January 2015
Website
Press Contact
inthekillbox@gmail.com
Social
Release
April 2016
description
Killbox is an online game and interactive installation that critically explores the nature of drone warfare, its complexities and consequences. It is an experience which explores the use of technology to transform and extend political and military power, and the abstraction of killing through virtualisation.
Killbox is a fictionalized interactive experience in virtual environments based on documented drones strikes in Northern Pakistan.
The work is an international collaboration between U.S. based artist/activist, Joseph DeLappe and Scotland-based artists and game developers, Malath Abbas, Tom Demajo and Albert Elwin of Biome Collective.
History
The project started when in early 2015 Joseph DeLappe collaborated with Biome Collective during a residency in Dundee, Scotland. DeLappe has explored drone warfare in a range of his work and was keen explore making a game. Through NEoN Digital Arts Festival an introduction to Biome Collective led to the collaboration.
Biome Collective is a diverse, inclusive melting pot of technology, art and culture for people who want to create, collaborate and explore games, digital art and technology. The Dundee-based collective and co-working space is the first of its kind in Scotland. It provides access to space and support for professionals, organisations and graduates working in the interactive digital sphere. Biome collective is made up of an ever-expanding range of disciplines from design and art to business and technology. It is creating a culture of collaboration beyond the traditional game sector by fostering local and international relationships and creating original and unique work.
support
This project would not have been possible without the generous funding of Turbulence.org/New Radio and Peforming Arts, NYC, USA; The Phoenix, Leicester, UK; and The Cutting Room, UK and Creative Scotland, UK.
Video
Killbox Teaser Trailer
Val McDermid plays Killbox (BBC Artsnight Series 3)
Killbox Postmortem - Game Think 2.0, 3rd February 2017, University of Glasgow
Images
Screenshots
NEoN Digital Arts Festival, November 2017, West Ward Works, Dundee
Festivals & Installations
Promotional Artwork
Team photos
Awards & Recognition
BAFTA Scotland 2016 Nomination
AMAZE Berlin 2016 Festival
IndieCade 2016
IndieCade @ e3 2016
Bit Bash 2016 Selection
EGX Leftfield Collection 2015
GDCE 2015: Experimental Gameplay Workshop
EXHIBITIONS
2018
Scottish Design Galleries - V&A Dundee / UK
Gun Ballet: the Aestheticization of Violence in Video Games – Chicago / USA
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Christchurch / New Zealand
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Singapore
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Kuala Lumpur / Malaysia
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Bucharest / Romania
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Luxemburg
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Nancy / France
2017
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Novosibirsk / Russia
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Manila / Philippines
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Centro Cultural de Sao Paulo / Brazil
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - German American Conference at Harvard / USA
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Boston & MIT Game Lab / USA
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - Washington / USA
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - San Francisco / USA
2016
Politics and Games – Goethe Institute - New Mexico / Mexico
Creative Scotland / Scottish Parliament - Edinburgh / UK
NEoN Digital Arts Festival - Dundee / UK
IndieCade Festival – Los Angeles / USA
Plan B / AMAZE - Kharkiv / Ukraine
AMAZE – Johannesburg / South Africa
IndieCade @ E3 - Los Angeles / USA
Bit Bash Arcade – Chicago / USA
Dundee Design Festival - Dundee / UK
AMAZE – Berlin / Germany
Phoenix – The Cube - Leicester / UK
2015
NOMAS - Dundee / UK
Beta Public - London / UK
Hammer Museum – Los Angeles / USA
GameCity - Nottingham / UK
Make/Share - Dundee / UK
GamesAreForEveryone - Edinburgh / UK
V&A Design Week - London / UK
EGX / Leftfield Collection – Birmingham / UK
GDCE / Experimental Gameplay Workshop - Cologne / Germany
Selected Articles
KILL BOX IS A TROUBLING GAME ABOUT DRONE WARFARE, Polygon
KILLBOX, A VIDEOGAME ABOUT THE TRUE HORROR OF DRONE WARFARE, Kill Screen
The game that makes drone warfare personal, Engadget
In This Game You Play a Drone Pilot, Then a Drone Target, Motherboard
The drone-strike game “Killbox” plunges players into the most dehumanizing aspect of modern warfare, Quartz
Team
Joseph DeLappe @josephdelappe
Malath Abbas @maltron3D
Tom Demajo @tomdemajo
Albert Elwin @albertelwin_