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12 13 <meta charset="utf-8" /> 14 <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> 15 16 <title>Ian Bogost</title> 17 <meta name="description" content="Writer, designer, and professor exploring media, technology, and culture." /> 18 19 <!-- Canonical --> 20 <link rel="canonical" href="https://bogost.com" /> 21 22 <!-- Open Graph --> 23 <meta property="og:site_name" content="Ian Bogost" /> 24 <meta property="og:title" content="Ian Bogost" /> 25 <meta property="og:description" content="Writer, designer, and professor exploring media, technology, and culture." /> 26 <meta property="og:type" content="website" /> 27 <meta property="og:url" content="https://bogost.com" /> 28 <meta property="og:image" content="https://bogost.com/images/about/ian-bogost-orange-bird.jpg" /> 29 30 <!-- Twitter --> 31 <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> 32 <meta name="twitter:title" content="Ian Bogost" /> 33 <meta name="twitter:description" content="Writer, designer, and professor exploring media, technology, and culture." /> 34 <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://bogost.com/images/about/ian-bogost-orange-bird.jpg" /> 35 36 <!-- Favicon/manifest --> 37 <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32.png"> 38 <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png"> 39 <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest"> 40 41 <link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/styles.css?v=1763957323" /> 42</head> 43<body> 44 <a class="skip-link" href="#main">Skip to content</a> 45 <header class="site-header" role="banner"> 46 <div class="container nav-wrap"> 47 <a class="brand" href="/">Ian Bogost</a> 48 <button class="nav-toggle" aria-label="Menu" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="site-menu"> 49 <span class="bar"></span> 50 <span class="bar"></span> 51 <span class="bar"></span> 52 </button> 53 <nav class="site-nav" id="site-menu" aria-label="Primary"> 54 <ul> 55 <li> 56 <a href="/books/" > 57 Books </a> 58 </li> 59 <li> 60 <a href="/writing/" > 61 Writing </a> 62 </li> 63 <li> 64 <a href="/games/" > 65 Games </a> 66 </li> 67 <li> 68 <a href="/projects/" > 69 Projects </a> 70 </li> 71 <li> 72 <a href="/about/" > 73 About </a> 74 </li> 75 </ul> 76 </nav> 77 </div> 78
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114 115 </header> 116 <main id="main" class="container"></file> 117<!-- HERO + BIO ROW --> 118<section class="hero-row" aria-label="Featured"> 119 <div class="hero card"> 120 <a href="https://smallstuffbook.com"><img src="/images/hero.jpg" alt="" class="hero-img" /></a> 121 <h1 class="hero-title">The Small Stuff</h1> 122 <p class="muted">My new book about <b>the sensory enchantment of daily life</b>. It's an actually useful, easy-reading, philosophical self-help book that looks beyond happiness to the weirder, simpler, and easier contentment that arises from deliberately and regularly using your senses to contact and appreciate the ordinary world.</p> 123 <p><b>Available now!</b></p> 124 <nav class="hero-links"> 125 <!--a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Small-Stuff/Ian-Bogost/9781668062630" class="link">Preorder Now â</a--> 126 <!--a href="#newsletter" class="link">Subscribe for Updates â</a--> 127 <a class="btn primary" href="https://smallstuffbook.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> 128 Buy the Book 129 </a> 130 </nav> 131 </div> 132 <aside class="bio card"> 133 <figure class="bio-photo"> 134 <img src="/images/ian-bogost.jpg" alt="Portrait of Ian Bogost" class="bio-img" /> 135 </figure> 136 <h2>Hello, I'm Ian Bogostâ¦</h2> 137 <p>â¦a writer, designer, and professor. You might know me as the author of books like <a href="#" class="link"><em>Persuasive Games</em></a> and <a href="#" class="link"><em>Alien Phenomenology</em></a>, or as the creator of <a href="#" class="link"><em>Cow Clicker</em></a>, or as a writer at <a href="https://theatlantic.com/author/ian-bogost" class="link"><em>The Atlantic</em></a>.</p> 138 <p>You might also not know me at all, in which case—good news—you are looking at my website.</p> 139 <nav class="bio-links"> 140 <a href="/about/" class="link">Full bio â</a> 141 <a href="/about/#contact" class="link">Contact â</a> 142 <a href="#subscribe" class="link">Subscribe â</a> 143 </nav> 144 </aside> 145</section> 146 147<!-- WORK (static, homepage-only) --> 148<section class="rail" aria-label="Work"> 149 <div class="cards"> 150 <article class="card card-wrap"> 151 <a href="https://washu.edu" class="card-link"> 152 <img src="/images/washu.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 153 <!--h3 class="card-title">Washington University in St. Louis</h3--> 154 <p class="muted">I am a professor and administrator at Washington University in St. Louis, where I work in three of our nine schools and the provost's office.</p> 155 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" alt="" class="mascot" /> 156 </a> 157 </article> 158 <article class="card card-wrap"> 159 <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com" class="card-link"> 160 <img src="/images/theatlantic.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 161 <!--h3 class="card-title">The Atlantic</h3--> 162 <p class="muted">I am a staff writer at <i>The Atlantic</i>, where I cover technology, design, education, and more.</p> 163 <img src="/assets/creatures/22.png" alt="" class="mascot" /> 164 </a> 165 </article> 166 <article class="card card-wrap"> 167 <a href="https://persuasivegames.com" class="card-link"> 168 <img src="/images/pg.png" alt="" class="card-img" /> 169 <!--h3 class="card-title">Persuasive Games</h3--> 170 <p class="muted">I am a founding partner of Persuasive Games, a design consultancy and independent game studio.</p> 171 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" alt="" class="mascot" /> 172 </a> 173 </article> 174 </div> 175</section> 176<h2> </h2> 177 178<!-- BOOKS --> 179<section class="rail" aria-label="Books"> 180<div class="section-head"> 181 <h2>Selected Books</h2> 182 <a href="/books/" class="link view-all">View all â</a> 183</div> 184<div class="cards cards-4"> 185 <article class="card card-wrap"> 186 <a href="/books/small-stuff/" class="card-link"> 187 <img src="/images/content/books/small-stuff.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 188 <h3 class="card-title">The Small Stuff</h3> 189 <p class="muted">How you got disconnected from the physical worldâand how to reclaim that lost joy in everyday life. Out summer 2026.</p> 190 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 191 alt="" 192 class="mascot" 193 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 194 </a> 195</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 196 <a href="/books/play-anything/" class="card-link"> 197 <img src="/images/content/books/play-anything.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 198 <h3 class="card-title">Play Anything</h3> 199 <p class="muted">How filling life with playâwhether soccer or lawn mowing, counting sheep or tossing Angry Birdsâforges a new path for creativity and joy
199in our impatient age.</p> 200 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 201 alt="" 202 class="mascot" 203 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 204 </a> 205</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 206 <a href="/books/persuasive-games/" class="card-link"> 207 <img src="/images/content/books/persuasive-games.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 208 <h3 class="card-title">Persuasive Games</h3> 209 <p class="muted">How videogames mount arguments and make expressive statements about the world</p> 210 <img src="/assets/creatures/16.png" 211 alt="" 212 class="mascot" 213 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 214 </a> 215</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 216 <a href="/books/how-to-talk-about-videogames/" class="card-link"> 217 <img src="/images/content/books/how-to-talk-about-videogames.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 218 <h3 class="card-title">How to Talk About Videogames</h3> 219 <p class="muted">A fond look at the preposterousâand yet essentialâpursuit of games criticism.</p> 220 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 221 alt="" 222 class="mascot" 223 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 224 </a> 225</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 226 <a href="/books/alien-phenomenology/" class="card-link"> 227 <img src="/images/content/books/alien-phenomenology.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 228 <h3 class="card-title">Alien Phenomenology</h3> 229 <p class="muted">A bold new metaphysics that explores how all thingsâfrom atoms to green chiles, cotton to computersâperceive, and experience one another.</p> 230 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 231 alt="" 232 class="mascot" 233 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 234 </a> 235</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 236 <a href="/books/racing-the-beam/" class="card-link"> 237 <img src="/images/content/books/racing-the-beam.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 238 <h3 class="card-title">Racing the Beam</h3> 239 <p class="muted">The relationship between technological design and creative expression in the Atari VCS (2600).</p> 240 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 241 alt="" 242 class="mascot" 243 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 244 </a> 245</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 246 <a href="/books/newsgames/" class="card-link"> 247 <img src="/images/content/books/newsgames.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 248 <h3 class="card-title">Newsgames</h3> 249 <p class="muted">How videogames offer a new way to do journalism</p> 250 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 251 alt="" 252 class="mascot" 253 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 254 </a> 255</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 256 <a href="/books/unit-operations/" class="card-link"> 257 <img src="/images/content/books/unit-operations.jpg" alt="" class="card-img card-img--book" /> 258 <h3 class="card-title">Unit Operations</h3> 259 <p class="muted">A literary-technical theory for analsys of configurative systems</p> 260 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 261 alt="" 262 class="mascot" 263 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 264 </a> 265</article> </div> 266</section> 267 268<!-- WRITING --> 269<section class="rail" aria-label="Writing"> 270<div class="section-head"> 271 <h2>Recent Writing</h2> 272 <a href="/writing/" class="link view-all">View more â</a> 273</div> 274 <div class="cards cards-4 cards-writing" id="writing-cards" aria-live="polite"> 275 <!-- Populated by writing.js --> 276 </div> 277 <p class="muted" id="writing-fallback" style="display:none"> 278 Canât load feed right now. 279 <a class="link" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/ian-bogost/">See all on my author page</a>. 280 </p> 281</section>
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283 284 285<!-- GAMES --> 286<section class="rail" aria-label="Games"> 287 <div class="section-head"> 288 <h2>Selected Games</h2> 289 <a href="/games/" class="link view-all">View all â</a> 290 </div> 291 <div class="cards cards-4"> 292 <article class="card card-wrap"> 293 <a href="/games/persuasive-games/" class="card-link"> 294 <img src="/images/content/games/persuasive-games.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 295 <h3 class="card-title">Persuasive Games</h3> 296 <p class="muted">Persuasive Games designs, builds, and distributes videogames for persuasion, instruction, and activism. It also offers business, legal, content, and design consulting.</p> 297 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 298 alt="" 299 class="mascot" 300 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 301 </a> 302</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 303 <a href="/games/simony/" class="card-link"> 304 <img src="/images/content/games/simony.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 305 <h3 class="card-title">Simony</h3> 306 <p class="muted">A site-specific game art installation commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville</p> 307 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 308 alt="" 309 class="mascot" 310 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 311 </a> 312</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 313 <a href="/games/cow_clicker/" class="card-link"> 314 <img src="/images/content/games/cowclicker.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 315 <h3 class="card-title">Cow Clicker</h3> 316 <p class="muted">A Facebook game about Facebook Games</p> 317 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 318 alt="" 319 class="mascot" 320 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 321 </a> 322</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 323 <a href="/games/aslowyear/" class="card-link"> 324 <img src="/images/content/games/aslowyear.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 325 <h3 class="card-title">A Slow Year</h3> 326 <p class="muted">A chapbook of game poems for Atari VCS, PC, and Mac. Independent Game Festival finalist and 2x Indiecade winner.</p> 327 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 328 alt="" 329 class="mascot" 330 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 331 </a> 332</article> </div> 333</section> 334 335<!-- PROJECTS --> 336<section class="rail" aria-label="Projects"> 337 <div class="section-head"> 338 <h2>Selected Projects</h2> 339 <a href="/projects/" class="link view-all">View all â</a> 340 </div> 341 <div class="cards cards-4"> 342 <article class="card card-wrap"> 343 <a href="/projects/buns-life/" class="card-link"> 344 <img src="/images/content/projects/buns-life.png" alt="" class="card-img" /> 345 <h3 class="card-title">Buns.life</h3> 346 <p class="muted">Put words between buns.</p> 347 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 348 alt="" 349 class="mascot" 350 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 351 </a> 352</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 353 <a href="/projects/platform-studies/" class="card-link"> 354 <img src="/images/content/projects/platform-studies.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 355 <h3 class="card-title">Platform Studies</h3> 356 <p class="muted">A book series about the technical foundations of computational life and creativity. Published by MIT Press.</p> 357 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 358 alt="" 359 class="mascot" 360 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 361 </a> 362</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 363 <a href="/projects/object-lessons/" class="card-link"> 364 <img src="/images/content/projects/object-lessons.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 365 <h3 class="card-title">Object Lessons</h3> 366 <p class="muted">A book series, 100+ books strong, about the secret life of ordinary things. Published by Bloomsbury.</p> 367 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 368 alt="" 369 class="mascot" 370 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 371 </a> 372</article><article class="card card-wrap"> 373 <a href="/projects/metropolis-now/" class="card-link"> 374 <img src="/images/content/projects/metropolis-now.jpg" alt="" class="card-img" /> 375 <h3 class="card-title">Metropolis Now</h3> 376 <p class="muted">A series at The Atlantic on how technology is transforming cities, for better and worse.</p> 377 <img src="/assets/creatures/0.png" 378 alt="" 379 class="mascot" 380 style="cursor:pointer;pointer-events:auto" /> 381 </a> 382</article> </div> 383</section> 384 385 </main> 386 387 <footer class="site-footer" role="contentinfo"> 388 <div class="container footer-wrap"> 389 <p class="copyright">©2003 – 2026 Ian Bogost, Persuasive Games LLC. All rights reserved.</p> 390 <nav class="footer-nav" aria-label="Footer"> 391 <ul> 392 <li><a href="/about/#contact">Contact</a></li> 393 <li><a href="https://ibogost.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsletter</a></li> 394 </ul> 395 </nav> 396 <div class="social"> 397 <a href="https://x.com/ibogost" aria-label="Twitter">Twitter/X</a> 398 <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/ibogost.com" aria-label="Bluesky">Bluesky</a> 399 <a href="https://instagram.com/ibogost" aria-label="Instagram">Instagram</a> 400 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-bogost" aria-label="LinkedIn">LinkedIn</a> 401 </div> 402 </div>
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