Explore the Ethics of Digital Rights & The Future City

rootoftwo invites the community to playtest 463NCY (agency), a game set in a richly imagined near-future, where privacy is a valuable commodity. Players become cybernetically enhanced residents working together to disrupt surveillance networks, escort whistleblowers, and outmaneuver escalating waves of corporate security known as PIGS (Private Information Grid Security). The game board is a multi-layered, cyberpunk cityscape, and the format is hands-on and accessible.

Game sessions are 90 min – 2hrs and will run regularly on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, welcoming both seasoned players and curious newcomers. Playtests are open to 6 people on a first come first serve basis. They are free. RSVP required.

Talk: Empowering Collective Resistance and Civic Imagination Through Play

How can games, primarily analog, social, and cooperative ones, become tools for civic engagement, systems literacy, and collective resistance? This panel brings together designers and artists working at the intersection of games and social change to discuss how tabletop formats can raise critical questions about urban governance, mobility, AI, and democracy. Moderated by rootoftwo, we’ll explore why tabletop games are particularly effective at modeling complex systems, fostering empathy, and enabling situated decision-making in public policy contexts. The event is free. RSVP Required. Attendance is limited to 40 people.

September 27, 2025 3 PM – 6 PM
Newlab at Michigan Central
2050 15th St. Detroit, MI 48216