When Computer “Bugs” Become Real

It’s likely that you have come across the term “glitch”, in the context of computer games. They are essentially small coding errors where the algorithm running a video game doesn’t quite function as intended. One of the most famous glitch effects in the gaming world is the Minus World glitch from Super Mario Bros. When a player executes a specific jumping manoeuvre near the end of world 1–2, a slight error in the game’s collision detection algorithm triggers a chain of unintended scenarios. The glitch leads to the loading of an unintended world — the Minus World — and the creation of a visual pathway, like an extra green pipe in the “warp zone,” to access this new world.

A more recent examples of games with glitch modes include Grand Theft Auto 5 (the money glitch), Tears of the Kingdom (duplication glitch), Fortnite (vault glitch), and many others. Yet while these games represent some of the most renowned and recent examples, nearly every computer game harbours its unique set of glitches, each with its distinct quirks that have both frustrated and delighted players around the world. Emerging types of games, such as biotic games too, are no different in that respect.

Biologically-Generated Computer Games

As mentioned earlier, gaming glitches aren’t confined solely to digital systems; they extend into games that converge both the digital and biological realms. These type of games, referred to as hybrid biodigital games (or biotic games), have gained traction in a relatively new yet burgeoning gaming genre. Within this space, players and designers have encountered and reported various glitches arising from the fusion of biological processes with gaming.

Consider scenarios where barely visible bacterial movements translate into digital gaming characters, or where vibrant colonies of fungi transform digitally to craft virtual, living gaming environments. The game’s functionality isn’t solely dictated by computer code; rather, it incorporates biological elements. DNA expressing genes for organism behaviour or complex biochemical reactions governing specific outcomes play a pivotal role. These biological processes influence how digital images, visuals, and actions manifest and interact with human players. Therefore, glitches in biodigital games don’t necessarily arise solely due to flaws in the computer program; they can also be attributed to the intricacies of biological coding. To illustrate a biologically-generated glitch, let me share an incidence reported by biotic game researchers.

Shedding Crickets

Researchers Wim van Eck and Maarten Lamers detailed an intriguing incident in their BugMan game they had designed. This modified version of the classic PacMan involved players stimulating real, live crickets with mechanical vibrations as a way to encourage the insects to navigate a physical maze. Their movements were then captured on video and digitally processed: identifying the dark colourations of crickets’ bodies through a colour sensor, and translating them into virtual game characters. In effect, the game involved two interconnected gaming worlds: one that occurs in real-life in the form of crickets inside a fabricated maze, and the other a virtual game that is a digital translation of the real world.

And for the glitch: the BugMan glitch was initiated by a single cricket. During the game, it had suddenly decided to shed its skin, a natural process called moulting. Because the new body had a lighter colour, it had escaped detection by the image recognition algorithm. This meant that while the discarded old skin remained as a static but accounted-for character in the game, a newly shed insect, with its lighter body had deceived the algorithm and were allowed to roam freely in the game as a kind of a “ghost”. Further still, over time, the game got even weirder: To add to the confusion, through the natural process of ageing, the cricket’s new body had darkened, which meant that software could now finally recognize the darkened body. In effect, the cricket had cloned itself, at least from the viewpoint of the image processing algorithm. A new additional game character was born.

Lessons Learned

Game culture studies researcher Thomas Apperley argued that glitches “expose the complex algorithmic processes that are underway beneath the assumed user-friendliness of the contemporary interface”. In other words, glitches could play an important role in uncovering the hidden workings or flaws of a system that allows us to learn and to implement the learning in better design of the system. And I agree that the BugMan glitch did just that.

Besides providing the players an unexpected fun in playing BugMan, the game’s glitch can reveal some potentially valuable lessons in the future design of digital systems that are driven by biological processes and behaviours of living organisms.

First, these observations are a reminder of how digital tools and algorithms may struggle to adequately work with sensitive, gradual, and invisible tendencies of biological processes inherent in living organisms. They confirm the importance of finding the appropriate hardware and software solutions to counter biological variability, and to design the game accordingly. For instance, the game’s motion detection algorithm could be adjusted to account for long periods of inactivity of the crickets. Additionally, to successfully detect a freshly-shed cricket’s light coloured body, image processing algorithms could be tuned further in lowering the threshold with which the software picks out and identify the crickets at play.

Second, the BugMan glitch highlighted a significant gap in understanding and awareness regarding the underlying biology, physiology, and behavior of the featured organism. For instance, a deeper comprehension of insect moulting patterns, their frequency, and the triggers for such events could have greatly benefited the game’s design and functionality. Enhancing our awareness and grasp of the organism chosen for game development is crucial, promising productive outcomes if researchers prioritize this exploration in advance. Furthermore, whilst engaging with literature and acquiring knowledge through such research approach can be valuable, potential collaborations with experts in biology may be beneficial also. These collaborations could provide access to specialized knowledge, including tacit information, and offer insights into the intricacies and nuances specific to the organism in question. This refined understanding is essential for creating a game that is more finely tuned to the idiosyncrasies of the organism, ultimately elevating the overall gaming experience.

And thirdly, there’s an intriguing aspect to tapping into the biology and the somewhat enigmatic workings of crickets. While I understand the challenges posed by the wide array of biological processes that might emerge in the game, and the general complexity of biology that can make tool preparation and game design a bit tricky, there are ways to reframe and leverage these aspects to enhance the gaming experience.

Consider the slower pace of biological processes, such as the gradual shedding and darkening of the body. These elements could be cleverly incorporated into the game design, influencing its dynamics and mechanics. By doing so, players could be encouraged to exercise patience and engage in contemplative gameplay, adding depth to the experience. Additionally, leveraging the concept of biophilia — our innate attraction to living things — could be a powerful tool to captivate and immerse players in the game environment.

Addressing a somewhat ethical challenge, there’s potential in exploring synthetic biology to create game characters through genetic engineering. This approach could allow designers to pick and choose from a library of standardized genetic components to modify specific features and functionalities of the in-game characters. While it’s a complex topic, this avenue might offer intriguing possibilities for game development.

In Summary…

Gaming glitches, often seen as coding errors, transcend digital boundaries and extend into hybrid biodigital games, blending biological processes with digital gaming. These glitches reveal challenges in adapting digital tools to biological intricacies and emphasize the need for deeper understanding of organismal biology in game design. Collaborating with biology experts can enhance game development to align with biological nuances.

Moreover, integrating biological aspects like slower processes or our attraction to living things into game design can enhance player immersion and gameplay experience. Ethically exploring synthetic biology for game character creation via genetic engineering presents intriguing possibilities for future game development.

These glitches serve as windows into the intricate relationship between digital systems and biology, offering insights for more sophisticated and engaging game designs at the intersection of technology and biology.