The Consultant's Quest : Expansion Game for the Opera The Prophecies

How can ludic play frame and assist the participants' interactions in an immersive opera? The Consultant's Quest was developed as an artistic response to the idea and the challenge of integrating articulated game-playing as a both methodic and affective instrument in relation to operatic elements. Presented as a card-driven board game in connection to the operatic experience The Prophecies, The Consultant's Quest became an introductory and preparatory project on site for the participating visitors who could follow the rules to interact with the fictional characters in the work in a structured way. The game was designed to enhance the immersivity of the artistic event by activating and occupying the visitor with ludic tasks. Through the ludic investment from the visitor, oblivion of the outside world and an increasing commitment to the fictional situation could be induced. As a product of artistic research, The Consultant's Quest manifests and examplifies the applicability of game design in the artistic context of contemporary opera.