Research[Cre]Action

Andean Futures (Futuros Andinos in Spanish) is an ongoing, community-based research-creation project using open-source game-making tools, in collaboration with Kenia Chavez Ccahuana and the Kusi Kawsay Andean Association.

This is an experimental participative digital project rooted in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisac, Peru. This initiative emerged as a continuation of our previous work on Hawk and Puma, a minimalist game that brought indigenous chronicles into a contemporary, interactive medium. With Andean Futures, we aimed to push the boundaries further by focusing on collaborative game design, involving the youth of Pisac and their local community. The project is an exploration of Andean futures through interactive storytelling, combining traditional cultural elements with speculative fiction, all while embracing open-source game creation tools like Bitsy and Twine.

Our main goal was to empower young people from the Andean community of Pisac to tell their own stories and imagine possible futures from their unique cultural lens. By collaborating with the Kusi Kawsay Andean Association, we ensured that the narratives, aesthetics, and cosmovision of the local culture were deeply integrated into the project. The digital micro-games created through this process will form a virtual Quipu—a web of stories and perspectives that weaves together the future as envisioned by those often left out of mainstream narratives.

Artistically, the project embraces minimalist design and the visual richness of the Sacred Valley. From the textures and colors inspired by Andean textiles to the incorporation of ambient sounds from the natural environment, Andean Futures grounds its speculative futures in a deeply rooted cultural and geographical context. The games themselves explore themes such as identity, indigenous rights, and the complex relationship between tradition and modernity. Every aspect of this project, from its collaborative methods to its open-source tools, highlights our commitment to decolonial game design.

Looking ahead, Andean Futures is designed as a replicable framework that can be extended to other Andean communities or indigenous cultures. The project is not only a series of interactive experiences but a growing platform for underrepresented voices to craft their visions of the future. By creating a space for community-driven storytelling, we aim to challenge the typical narratives of the digital world and celebrate the cultural heritage and contemporary realities of indigenous peoples.