Ludic Dissonance: Riley Harmon’s What It Is Without The Hand That Wields It

Summary: This article examines the notion of political resistance in war video games by looking at the work of artist Riley Harmon. By extending the concept of Nick Dyer-Whiteford and Greig de Peuter's counterplay, this article shows that the dissenting practices are a credible strategy for critical artistic creation. Abstract: This article examines the notion of political resistance in war-based video games through the work of artist Riley Harmon. By extending Nick Dyer-Whiteford and Greig from Peuter’s concept of counterplay, this paper argues that dissident play is a credible strategy of practice-based, critical inquiry. Keywords: Video games, war, new media art, digital art, critical practices.