Yifat Shaik

Yifat Shaik is an Assistant Professor in Computational Arts at York University and an indie game developer whose focus is on creating personal autobiographical work and the use of systems, data, and game mechanics in social interaction and political activism. Her work explores the way “play” can become a powerful way to talk about and examine social structures, especially using mechanics as the primary tools of subverting the meaning of well-established video game systems. As an independent game developer, Yifat made Real Army Simulator, an anti-militarization game about the mundanity of military service, and The Engine is the Message, a series of small experimental games which are done in nontraditional game engines. She is currently working on “I want to be invisible” an ARG that uses Alexa and digital humans to examine issues pertaining to gender representation in digital media. Her work has been exhibited and presented internationally in events like MIGS (in which she was keynote speaker in 2018), Indiecade, Full Indie, Qgcon, and more and has received press attention from publications like Boing Boing, The Financial Post, and The Torontoist. Since graduating from OCAD University in 2014, Yifat has been working as an instructor and course director in such institutions as OCAD University, Sheridan College, The Toronto Public Library and since 2016 she has been a course director (and later Assistant Professor) at York University’s Computational Arts program. Yifat is a member of the Different Games Collective and head organizer of Different Games Toronto conference in 2017.

Published Games

Real Army Simulator
Real Army Simulator is the often humorous, slightly satirical and sometimes real account of what it is really like to be a soldier in the army. Real Army Simulator tries to show a more realistic view of the army and what it’s like to be part of it. The game presents life in the army as being part of a large bureaucratic and mundane machine rather than the glorified heroic experience often depicted in-game

The Worksheet Saga
The Worksheet Saga is a generative puzzle game that takes place in an Excel spreadsheet, building on John Conway’s Game of Life. These iconic and simple algorithms encourage emergent and engaging play, using colors, simple rules, and familiar Excel elements to create a unique interactive experience.