Close-up of tall dry grass and leaves in black and white.
Close-up of tall dry grass and leaves in black and white.
A close-up photo of a textured, weathered concrete or stone wall with cracks and marks.

Playgrounds
of Power

Supported by Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi

South Asian languages Scripts
Research
Public Programming
Exhibition

Who gets to make digital games in India, and on what terms?

The first initiative of its kind in India, this research and dialogue initiative maps the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse professionals in India’s fast-growing digital gaming industry. 


This project moved across qualitative research, ecosystem convenings, futures practice, cultural programming and creative storytelling. It centered experience over numeric generalisation, surfacing perspectives of game designers, developers, leadership, and community builders across the ecosystem.

Texture of south asian cultural practice of tying threads around tree trunks
Texture of south asian cultural practice of tying threads around tree trunks
Small group discussion during a Playgrounds of Power workshop by Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut exploring structural barriers faced by women in India's digital gaming ecosystem.
Panel discussion at a Playgrounds of Power public event by Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut, with game designers and practitioners sharing experiences of gender and work in India's digital gaming industry.
Participants mapping practices and resource flows on a Lagori-designed board during a Playgrounds of Power systems convening on gender equity in India's digital gaming industry.

The research was made public through a research report and exhibition, surfacing patterns, tensions and ways forward to influence who enters, who remains, and who gets to shape the digital gaming industry.

Visitors reading the Playgrounds of Power exhibition panel on understanding the Indian game-making landscape, produced by Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut.
Visitor reading a Playgrounds of Power research zine at the exhibition by Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut on gender equity in India's digital gaming industry.
Playgrounds of Power report by Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut displayed at the exhibition, a systemic inquiry into gender, work, and the future of digital game-making in India.
Community conversation at Lagori Collective's space in Bengaluru as part of Playgrounds of Power public programming, with practitioners from India's gaming ecosystem gathered in discussion.
A game designer working at a laptop and audio mixer during research for Playgrounds of Power, a Lagori Collective and Goethe-Institut initiative on gender and digital game-making in India.
MORE PROJECTS
MORE PROJECTS
Texture of south asian cultural practice of tying threads around tree trunks
Project Microsite
Texture of south asian cultural practice of tying threads around tree trunks
Read the Report