For Immediate Release
Contact: contact@resonym.com
April 6, 2022 (Hanover, NH) – The latest board game designed at Tiltfactor, Glitch Squad, is being published by Resonym, and coming to Kickstarter on April 19th.
Glitch Squad was designed at Dr. Mary Flanagan’s Tiltfactor research lab at Dartmouth College by distinguished designers Mary Flanagan and Max Seidman, and designed in collaboration with LabX at the National Academy of Sciences. Glitch Squad will join the independent publisher Resonym’s ever-growing repertoire of acclaimed titles such as Monarch and Mechanica.
Glitch Squad is a 15-minute party game where players take on the role of forensic scientists trying to solve cases. During a round, each player tries to help their teammates identify a piece of evidence by writing three clues—but one of those clues will be disrupted by the Squad’s meddlesome office cat, Glitch. With clever guesses and proper application of the forensic science bonus cards, players can identify their evidence and win!
Forensic Science and Why Glitch Squad Matters
Glitch Squad was created in a collaboration between LabX, a public engagement testbed at the National Academy of Sciences, and the Tiltfactor game research laboratory at Dartmouth College as a way to engage the public on issues surrounding forensic science.
“We often see forensic science depicted in movies and on TV, but the reality is that not all evidence in the legal system is as reliable as it seems. Certain forensic techniques are much more subject to human bias and error than others, a key piece of information that doesn’t always make its way into the courtroom,” says Rick Thomas, an associate program officer for LabX.
Glitch Squad’s forensic cards feature some of the most common forensic techniques used around the world, and the game aims to help players understand the difference between scientifically validated forensic science, and techniques that have been largely debunked by the scientific community.
“Glitch Squad subtly engages with important societal issues,” says Dr. Mary Flanagan, the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor in Digital Humanities at Dartmouth College and Glitch Squad’s co-designer. “Historically, unsound forensic science has led to wrongful convictions that often impact the most vulnerable in our society. I’m excited to have designed a game to bring the National Academy of Sciences’ in-depth research on forensic science to the public and help dispel some of the myths around what constitutes valid legal evidence.”
About The Game
In Glitch Squad, players compete in teams to figure out pieces of evidence about a crime scene: the location, the weapon, the victim’s hobby, or the perp’s profession. Players write three clues to help their teammate guess the evidence. But before their teammate receives the clues, an opponent takes on the role of Glitch, the office cat, and messes up one clue—erasing it and replacing it with a different word to mislead the opposing team. Then each player has a chance to guess their piece of evidence from these ‘glitched’ clues. Players who stump their opponents get rewarded, but forensic test cards like Toxicology and Fingerprint Analysis can help players identify which clue was glitched.
Example Glitch Squad puzzle. One of these three clues can’t be trusted. Can you guess the profession?
Resonym, which has successfully funded six board games on Kickstarter to date, hopes to raise $8000 to print Glitch Squad. Backers will be able to pledge to receive the game for $25. Resonym hopes to release the game to Kickstarter backers in January 2023, and to bring the game to stores afterwards. Past Resonym games have been carried by local game stores across the US, as well as national chains like Target and Barnes & Noble.
About The Creators
Resonym is Mary Flanagan’s woman-led board game publishing company. Resonym works with women artists and designers to make artistic and engaging experiences—games, stories, and more.
Tiltfactor is a game research and development laboratory at Dartmouth College. Tiltfactor’s mission is to create and study games that can make the world a better place.
LabX is a public engagement testbed at the National Academy of Sciences that boldly experiments with a variety of creative – sometimes even unorthodox – approaches designed to spark an interest in science.
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that provides expert scientific advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and the world.
Glitch Squad will be found on Kickstarter at kickstarter.com/projects/maryflanagan/glitch-squad
For more information about Glitch Squad, including downloadable assets, visit resonym.com/press/glitch-squad.
For more information about Resonym, Tiltfactor, LabX, and the National Academy of Sciences, visit:
resonym.com/about • tiltfactor.org • labx.org • nasonline.org