Ludic encounters – understanding surveillance through game metaphors

This article explores the connections between game studies and surveillance studies. Although much of previous research analyzes surveillance as an oppressive practice, a more critical approach has recently identified the playful and enjoyable sides of watching and exposing. Surveillance in fact has many playful and game-like functions, which have not yet been addressed in their full extent. In this article, the vocabulary of play and game is used in order to uncover these game-like functions or surveillance practices. Five distinct game metaphors are presented: (1) cat-and-mouse, (2) hide-and-seek, (3) labyrinth, (4) sleight-of-hand and (5) poker. These metaphors reveal connections between enjoyment and control. Their implications are discussed both in urban settings and in virtual surroundings. In this article it is argued that faking, tricking and camouflaging have become persistent elements of urban and virtual cultures. There is no single authority watching, nor single context of surveillance and/or play. Rather, there are multiple players with variable motives. Examining the game elements of surveillance facilitates a broader understanding of how this practice moves beyond power and discipline. It also shows how surveillance and games are more intertwined than might have previously been recognized.