Stingy’s Spain Part 4: SubversiveBankGames

It's cool to see La Caixa, a major Catalunyan bank, sponsor something like The Game As Critic As Art conference. From the Intro:

The appropriation and modification of videogames - reverse engineering - is in itself a subversive act that implies a double intentionality: to critique (to rewrite) and to create (to recreate). These characteristics take an even greater relevance in online and offline gaming.

The event already happened but you can still enjoy the games they discussed. The extensive list is classified into topics such as New Systems of Social Justice and Games Against the Oversimplification of Facts and History. Click on the Juegos tab to browse the games by category. Although the site is in Spanish, most of the games are in English. If you want to see just one sample game, choose Escape From Woomera (pictured), an Austalian game that confronts their little discussed refugee camps (see faqs and screenshots).

All the other events and resources offered by the La Caixa Foundation for Social Work can be found on their main page. They are always hosting interest events, such as a symposium on innovative Arab film currently taking place.

Since we’re on the topic of videogames, here's a list of educational online games offered by the Telefonica foundation in Peru. These games can be a fun way for semi-proficient Spanish speakers to hone their skills. I particularly liked the “Choose Your Own Adventure” styled Cuatro Oscuro. The Curiosikids Experiments explain many scientific principles through brief explanations and short games that demonstrate and test the knowledge.

Visit Persuasive Games if you haven't yet. They build games for “persuasion, influence, and activism”. For example, you can try their "Disaffected" Kinkos game:

Disaffected! gives the player the chance to step into the demotivated position of real FedEx Kinkos employees. Feel the indifference of these purple-shirted malcontents first-hand, and consider the possible reasons behind their malaise -- is it mere incompetence? Managerial affliction? Unseen but serious labor issues?