Julia Tyll-Schranz is a historian based at the “Verein für Geschichte der ArbeiterInnenbewegung” (Association for the history of the worker’s movement). Her research has focused on worker’s and migration history, as well as oral history and memory cultures. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Vienna, where she also conducted academic research and teaching at the Chair for Transregional Historical Studies from 2020 to 2024. From 2012 to 2020, she worked as a guide and researcher for the Red Vienna exhibition at Karl-Marx-Hof. Julia Tyll-Schranz holds degrees in Development Studies and History.
Mateusz Gorecki has over two decades of experience in game development, beginning in the late 1990s with a self-taught passion for the craft. Throughout his career, he has contributed to the successful launch of more than 30 game titles across various platforms. In 2006, he co-founded the Austrian game studio Rarebyte, where he serves as game director, guiding the creative and artistic vision of numerous projects. Beyond his role at Rarebyte, Mateusz is an ambassador for the Pioneers of Game Development Austria (PGDA), helping to foster collaboration and growth within the Austrian game development community.
Martin Greunz is a project manager for digitization at the Vienna Chamber of Labour. He is particularly interested in game-based learning and is passionate about developing creative products. He is committed to shaping the digital future without jeopardizing fundamental rights such as the protection of personal data. He holds degrees in law and business administration.
Manchester 4.0
FROG 2024 – Talk
We will introduce a mobile game that is currently being developed by Studio Rarebyte on behalf of the Vienna Chamber of Labour (AK Wien). It is a collaborative multiplayer game that deals with the exploitation of the working class. One of the most striking examples was Manchester Capitalism in the 19th century. Child labour, inhumane working conditions, endless working hours, starvation wages and a lack of social benefits characterized this period. But we know that precarious and inhumane conditions still exist worldwide. The current situation in textile factories in many countries around the world is reminiscent of the darkest chapters in the history of workers. Is humanity not making any progress in this regard? Do the promises of technology also benefit workers or are we stepping back in time?
The game starts in a society of workers that can be set during the Industrial Revolution or in a dystopian future. The players try to create better working and living conditions for society. In doing so, they encounter enormous resistance that they have to overcome together. The gameplay is a great challenge and offers new opportunities for interaction and collaboration. Because if collective interests are neglected, a social apocalypse threatens. It will be released as a mobile game in the first quarter of 2025.
6
