Editing Jason Rohrer

{{short description|American video game designer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Jason Rohrer
| image              = Jason rohrer 2012.png
| alt                = 
| caption            = Rohrer in 2012
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1977|11|14}}
| birth_place        = 
| death_date         = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth) -->
| death_place        = 
| nationality        = 
| other_names        = 
| known_for          = 
| education          = [[Cornell University]] (BA)
| occupation         = [[Computer programmer]], [[game designer]], writer, musician
}}
[[File:North Country Notes - Website Artwork Menu Image.png|thumb|North Country Notes, a [[local currency]] proposed by Jason Rohrer (2005)]]
[[File:Jason Rohrer - Game Developers Conference 2011 - Day 2 (1).jpg|thumb|Jason Rohrer at the 2011 [[Game Developers Conference]]]]
[[File:Diamond Trust of London - Screenshot 01.png|thumb|"Diamond Trust of London" a crowdfunded [[Nintendo DS]] game by Jason Rohrer (2012)]]
'''Jason Rohrer''' (born November 14, 1977) is an American [[computer programmer]], writer, musician, and [[game designer]]. He publishes most of his software into the [[public domain]] ([[public-domain software]]) and charges for versions of his games distributed on commercial platforms like the [[App Store (iOS/iPadOS)|iPhone appstore]] or [[Steam (service)|Steam]].<ref name=primrose>{{cite web|url=http://fingergaming.com/2009/02/jason-rohrer-releases-iphone-puzzler-primrose/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224200136/http://fingergaming.com/2009/02/jason-rohrer-releases-iphone-puzzler-primrose|archivedate=February 24, 2009 |title=Jason Rohrer Releases iPhone Puzzler Primrose |publisher=Fingergaming.com |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://fingergaming.com/2008/12/passage-in-app-store-099/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230005755/http://fingergaming.com/2008/12/passage-in-app-store-099/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 30, 2008 |title=Passage in App Store, $0.99 |publisher=Fingergaming.com |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://store.steampowered.com/app/249570/ The Castle Doctrine] on steampowered.com</ref> He is a graduate of [[Cornell University]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cs.cornell.edu/information/news/newsitem1265.htm|title=Jason Rohrer named one of Esquire Magazine's Best and Brightest |publisher=[[Cornell University]] |date=May 18, 2009 |accessdate=September 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/resume.html |title=RESUME: Jason Rohrer |accessdate=September 4, 2014}}</ref> From 2004 until 2011 he practiced [[simple living]], stating in 2009 that his family of four had an annual budget of less than $14,500.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://alifewellwasted.com/ |title=A life well wasted, podcast episode 3 |date= |accessdate=December 14, 2023}}</ref> They have since relocated from [[Las Cruces, New Mexico|Las Cruces]], [[New Mexico]] to [[Davis, California|Davis]], [[California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/simpleLife.html |title=Voluntary Simplicity |publisher=Hcsoftware.sourceforge.net |date= |accessdate=July 22, 2014}}</ref> In 2005 Jason Rohrer worked on a [[local currency]], called ''North Country Notes'' (NCN), for [[Potsdam, New York]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/worklog/index.php?post=s1104152153|title=Interchangeable parts: Jason Rohrer's worklog}}</ref><ref>[http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/worklog/seedBlogs.php?action=display_post&post_id=jcr13_1116942527_0&show_author=1&show_date=1 North Country Notes Release Approaching] on northcountrynotes.org</ref><ref>[http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/worklog/seedBlogs.php?action=display_post&post_id=jcr13_1116946254_0&show_author=1&show_date=1 New Ideas in Currency Systems: Z Dollars] on northcountrynotes.org</ref> In 2016 Rohrer became the first videogame artist to have a solo retrospective in an art museum. His exhibition, ''The Game Worlds of Jason Rohrer'', was on view at [[Davis Museum at Wellesley College|The Davis Museum]] at [[Wellesley College]] until June 2016.<ref name="wellesley">{{cite web|last=The Davis Museum at Wellesley College|title=''The Game Worlds of Jason Rohrer''|url=http://www.wellesley.edu/davismuseum/whats-on/current/node/79126|publisher=The Davis Museum at [[Wellesley College]]|accessdate=February 12, 2016}}</ref>

==Games==
Rohrer has placed most of his creative work, like [[video games]]' [[source code]] and assets, into the [[public domain]] as he is a supporter of a [[Anti-copyright|copyright-less]] free distribution economy.<ref>[http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/freeDistribution.html Free Distribution] by Jason Rohrer (2004)</ref> Many of his project are hosted on [[SourceForge]].<ref name=SourceForge>{{cite web| url=http://sourceforge.net/projects/hcsoftware/| title=HC Software| author=Jason Rohrer| website=[[SourceForge]]| date=October 17, 2011| accessdate=May 22, 2013}}</ref>
*''Transcend'' – Rohrer's first game, released in 2005. ''Transcend'' is "an abstract 2D shooting game that doubles as a multimedia sculpture."
*''Cultivation'' – Rohrer's second game, released in 2007, is "a social simulation about a community of gardeners."<ref>[http://cultivation.sourceforge.net/ Cultivation] on sourceforge.net</ref>
*''[[Passage (video game)|Passage]]'' – Rohrer's third game, which was released in 2007 and garnered much attention from the mainstream and independent gaming communities.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120034796455789469 | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | first=Aaron | last=Rutkoff | title=The Game of Life | date=January 25, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/magazine/15videogames-t.html?_r=2 |title=Can D.I.Y. Supplant the First-Person Shooter? |work=[[Nytimes.com]] |date=November 15, 2009 |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Voorhees |first=Josh |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2179398/entry/2179825/ |title=The Gaming Club: There is little reason to be pessimistic or cynical about the future of gaming. – By N'Gai Croal, Seth Schiesel, Chris Suellentrop, and Stephen Totilo – Slate Magazine |publisher=[[Slate.com]] |date= December 12, 2007|accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/12/1228_game_company/source/5.htm |title=Video Games Break Out – BusinessWeek |publisher=[[businessweek.com]] |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013 |archive-date=January 18, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118180421/http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/12/1228_game_company/source/5.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The game lasts exactly five minutes, and focuses on life, mortality and the costs and benefits of marriage. It was featured in [[Kokoromi]]'s curated GAMMA 256 event.  In 2012 ''Passage'' became part of the permanent collection at the [[Museum of Modern Art]].
*''Gravitation'' – Rohrer's fourth game, released in 2008. That same year, it won the Jury award at [[IndieCade]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nbcnews.com/id/27188395/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/when-has-video-game-ever-made-you-cry/#.UT0Whxxx0y0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129221037/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27188395/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/when-has-video-game-ever-made-you-cry/#.UT0Whxxx0y0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 29, 2013 |title=When has a videogame ever made you cry?... |date=October 2008 |accessdate=March 10, 2013 |work=[[NBCNews.com]]}}</ref>
*''Between'' – Rohrer's fifth game, released in 2008. It is hosted by ''[[Esquire Magazine]]'' as an adjunct to Rohrer's profile in the December 2008 issue<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2008/future-of-video-game-design-1208 |title=Future of Video Game Design&nbsp;– Jason Rohrer's Programming Online Games |publisher=[[Esquire Magazine|Esquire]] |date=November 20, 2008 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref> and was the inaugural recipient of the 2009 [[Independent Games Festival]]'s [[Nuovo Award|Innovation Award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.igf.com/02finalists.html#Between |title=The 14th Annual Independent Games Festival Finalists |publisher=[[Independent Games Festival|Igf.com]] |year=2009 |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref>
*''Primrose'' – Rohrer's sixth game, designed for the iPhone (although released for home computers as well). It was released on February 19, 2009. It is a departure from the [[Art game|art-game]] theme, and is a simple puzzle game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://primrose.sourceforge.net/ |title=Primrose |publisher=Primrose.sourceforge.net |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref>
*''Sleep is Death'' – Adventure-game-making software, released April 16, 2010. Sleep is Death games require the creator to be present to respond to the player's actions in near real-time. It has received favorable reviews from a number of mainstream game review sites.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sleepisdeath.net |title=(Geisterfahrer) |publisher=Sleep Is Death |date= |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref>
*''Game Design Sketchbook'' – In 2008 Rohrer created a number of games for ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]''. These would usually be unpolished prototype games that explore a single theme, with an accompanying article by Rohrer describing the creative process of making games.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/gamedesignsketchbook |title=Game Design Sketchbook |website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013 |archive-date=September 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913102021/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/gamedesignsketchbook |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*''Inside a Star-filled Sky'' – An "infinite, recursive tactical shooter"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://insideastarfilledsky.net/ |title=Inside a Star-filled Sky |publisher=Inside a Star-filled Sky |date= |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref> released in February 2011, favorably reviewed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/23/impressions-inside-a-star-filled-sky/ |title=Impression: Inside a Star-filled Sky |newspaper=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]] |date= February 23, 2011|accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/13/inside-a-star-filled-sky-preview/ |title=Inside a Star-filled Sky |publisher=[[PC Gamer]] |date=February 11, 2011 |accessdate=June 26, 2013}}</ref> Selected for presentation at the 2011 [[Tokyo Game Show]]'s [[Sense of Wonder Night]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tgs.cesa.or.jp/sown/ |title=東京ゲームショウ｜Tokyo Game Show |publisher=Tgs.cesa.or.jp |date= |accessdate=February 23, 2012}}</ref> The game was put by Rohrer into public domain,<ref>[https://sourceforge.net/p/hcsoftware/game10/ci/default/tree/gameSource/ gameSource] on sourceforge.net</ref> like many other games of Rohrer.<ref>[http://freegamer.blogspot.de/2011/03/inside-star-filled-sky-public-domain.html Inside a Star-Filled Sky (Public Domain For-Pay) + Video Review + Jason Rohrer on open source] on freegamer.blogspot.de (March 2011)</ref>
*''[[Diamond Trust of London]]'' – A 2012 [[Crowdfunding|crowdfunded]] two-player strategy game for the [[Nintendo DS]] into public domain.
*''[[The Castle Doctrine]]'' – An [[Massively multiplayer online game|MMO]] burglary and home defense video game. Sold on Steam while being [[public-domain software]].
*''Cordial Minuet'' – A two-player online gambling strategy game played anonymously for real money.
*''[[One Hour One Life]]'' – A multiplayer survival game of parenting and civilization building, released February 2018.<ref>[https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/02/27/oh-the-humanity-jason-rohrer-releases-one-hour-one-life/ oh-the-humanity-jason-rohrer-releases-one-hour-one-life] on [[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]</ref> Like the games before, [[public domain software]] and hosted on [[GitHub]].<ref>[https://github.com/jasonrohrer/OneLife OneLife] on github.com/jasonrohrer</ref>

==GDC 2011 Game Design Challenge==
At the 2011 [[Game Developers Conference]] Rohrer won the annual Game Design Challenge by proposing a game that could only be played once by a single player and then passed on to another.<ref>{{cite web|last=Alexander |first=Leigh|title=GDC 2011: Rohrer Wins Game Design Challenge With Unique Minecraft Mod|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/33370/GDC_2011_Rohrer_Wins_Game_Design_Challenge_With_Unique_Minecraft_Mod.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306144425/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/33370/GDC_2011_Rohrer_Wins_Game_Design_Challenge_With_Unique_Minecraft_Mod.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 6, 2011|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=April 25, 2011}}</ref> This idea was based on stories of his late grandfather that had been passed down. He stated  "We become like gods to those who come after us." With this in mind he created a ''[[Minecraft]]'' mod, ''[[Chain World]]'', that was put on a single [[USB flash drive]], which he then passed to an audience member. The rules of the game were simple: No text signs are allowed in the game, players may play until they die once, upon respawning they must quit the game and the game must then be passed onto someone that is interested and willing to respect the rules.

==GDC 2013 Game Design Challenge==
In March 2013 the Game Design Challenge was held at the [[Game Developers Conference]] for the final time. Its theme was "Humanity's Final Game." Rohrer was among the six contestants and won with his entry ''A Game For Someone'', a [[Board game|physical game]] constructed of [[titanium]]. After its completion Rohrer buried it in an undisclosed location in the [[Nevada]] desert. At the challenge he released lists containing over one million discrete [[GPS]] coordinates, one of which was the actual burial spot. He estimated that with coordinated searching it would take at least 2,700 years to locate the game.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bishop|first=Bryan|title=Humanity's Final Game: a titanium board game buried in the Nevada desert|date=March 28, 2013|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/3/28/4158218/humanitys-final-game-a-titanium-board-game-buried-in-the-nevada-desert|publisher=[[The Verge]]|accessdate=July 22, 2014}}</ref>

==''The Game Worlds of Jason Rohrer''==
In February 2016, the Davis Museum at [[Wellesley College]] exhibited ''The Game Worlds of Jason Rohrer'', the first museum retrospective dedicated to the work of a single video game maker. The museum stated "Rohrer's exhibited work is deft, engaging, and often surprisingly moving. It refers to a diverse set of cultural influences ranging from the fiction of Borges to Black Magic; at the same time, it also engages pressing emotional, intellectual, philosophical, and social issues. Rohrer's substantial recognition, which has included feature coverage in [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]], [[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] and [[The Wall Street Journal]], as well as inclusion in [[MoMA]]'s initial videogame acquisition, has been built on a singularly fascinating body of games. These range from the elegantly simple—such as ''Gravitation'' (2008), a game about flights of creative mania and melancholy—to others of [[Byzantine complexity]]. The exhibition featured four large build-outs that translate Rohrer’s games into unique spatial experiences, alongside a section dedicated to exploring a large body of his work."<ref name="wellesley"/> The exhibit was designed by IKD,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.i-k-design.com/ |title=Home |website=i-k-design.com}}</ref> a Boston-based design firm.

==Other projects==
*konspire2b,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://konspire.sourceforge.net/ |title=Home |website=konspire.sourceforge.net}}</ref> a pseudonymous channel-based [[distributed file system]]
*[[token word]], a [[Project Xanadu|Xanadu]]-style text editing system<ref>Rohrer, Jason (2005). [https://hypertext.sourceforge.net/token_word/rohrer__token_word.pdf token word: a Xanalogical Transclusion and Micropayment System].</ref>
*[[Tangle (computer program)|tangle]], a [[proxy server]] which attempts to find relationships between websites and user visits.
*{{ill|MUTE|fr}},<ref>{{Cite web | title=MUTE | url=https://mute-net.sourceforge.net/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031220021116/http://mute-net.sourceforge.net:80/ | access-date=2025-02-26 | archive-date=2003-12-20}}</ref> a [[anonymous P2P]] file sharing network with privacy in mind.
*[[Monolith (computer program)|Monolith]], a thought experiment that might be relevant to digital copyright. This has expanded to a computer program implemented on his ideas.
*[[seedBlogs]], a modular building block that lets users add PHP and MySQL-backed dynamic content to any website.
*[[Silk (computer program)|silk]], a web-based hypertext system to simplify web page linking. Similar to [[wiki]] markup.
*[[hyperlit]], a literary hypertext authoring system.
*[[subreal]], a distributed evolution system.
*[[Project December]], an online conversation AI using [[GPT-2]] and [[GPT-3]] technology.

== Personal life ==
In August 2005, Rohrer and his wife were arraigned for violating a local ordinance prohibiting grass taller than 10 inches. Representing himself, he successfully argued that [[natural landscaping]] had environmental benefits, and that the mowing ordinance was being enforced on them "in a manner that violates the [[Free Speech Clause|free speech]], [[Equal Protection Clause|equal protection]], and [[Due Process Clause|due process clauses]] of the [[Constitution of the United States|United States]] and [[Constitution of New York|New York constitutions]]." The court found that the statute was overly broad, and he was acquitted of all charges on June 12, 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nature On Trial: Natural Landscaping Rights |url=http://northcountrynotes.org/jason-rohrer/natureOnTrial/ |access-date=February 1, 2023 |website=northcountrynotes.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Balbontin |first=Pablo R. |date=December 14, 2012 |url=https://littlevillagemag.com/screenshot-saving-private-rohrer/ |title=Screenshot: Saving Private Rohrer |magazine=Little Village |access-date=October 28, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Jason Rohrer}}
* [http://hcsoftware.sourceforge.net/jason-rohrer/ Jason Rohrer official website]
* {{YouTube|rWEt7DdUTaU|"Into the Night"}}, with Jason Rohrer and [[Chris Crawford (game designer)|Chris Crawford]] (2009)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rohrer, Jason}}
[[Category:American computer programmers]]
[[Category:American video game designers]]
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Cornell University alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American video game developers]]
[[Category:Open content activists]]
[[Category:Free software programmers]]
[[Category:Indie game developers]]