Peliesitysten

Peliesitysten is a term used in Finnish game studies and media art to describe the practice of presenting interactive digital works as performative events rather than as mere gameplay. It refers to a curatorial and dramaturgical approach that foregrounds staging, audience interaction, and the embodied experience of participants. In this usage, a game or interactive installation is framed as a performance, with attention to pacing, succession of scenes, and the relationship between players, observers, and space.

The concept emerged within Finnish and wider European discourse on game art and performance studies in the 2010s. It builds on ideas from theatre, choreography, and installation art to examine how interactive media are experienced when shown in galleries, museums, festivals, or specially designed venues. Peliesitysten emphasizes that meaning can arise from the presentation itself—through lighting, sound, seating, and the arrangement of the audience—in addition to the game’s mechanics or narrative.

Key characteristics include deliberate dramaturgy of the user journey, staged or controlled modes of participation, and documentation that records the event as a discrete performance. It often involves curators or artists who design specific vantage points, performative instructions for players, and time-bound sequences that shape interpretation.

Critics note that peliesitysten can enhance accessibility and social engagement with games, but there is concern about privileging form over playability or reducing interactivity to spectacle. Related discussions appear in game studies, performance studies, and media-arts criticism. Related concepts include game art, interactive installation, and performative play.