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CITY INVADER

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‘City Invader’ is a game that utilizes a public institution building after office-hours, by restoring the building’s exterior into a recreational space.

When the game begins, aliens crawling down a building appear. A player needs to shoot the aliens with a toy gun with a laser pointer. If the aliens climb down to the ground, they take over the city and the game will be over. If the player gets rid of all aliens before that point, he saves the city.

“Today in public institution, most giant construction like commercial buildings, city halls and churches are an expression of economic business wealth and its authority. These buildings are originally used for daytime office hour but at night, after office hour, the building in the middle of the city stands like a monster expressing power structure,” explained designer Sungbae Joe, who created the game as an attempt to change the public institutions into an entertainment area.

“’City Invader’ uses aliens as a metaphor for abusive authority figures. Citizens eliminating aliens represent movements against government authority and its abusiveness.”

City Invaders is inspired by “Space Invader”, an arcade game designed in 1978, and contains a strong nostalgia. It is a progressing project with a metaphorical expression to deliver a message that public institution is not a power-enforcing system but an institution that exists for the citizens.

Designed by:
Sungbae Jo, South Korea.

www.vimeo.com/819132